Gilt Bronze Standing Dragon Statue, Liao-Jin Dynasty, 10th-13th Century Chinese Full Relief Cast Gilt Bronze Dragon Ornament with Hand-Chiseled Scales

拍品描述

Dimensions: 29.5 cm (11.61 inches) tall, 2440 g in weight. This is a Liao-Jin period gilt bronze standing dragon sculpture, dating from the 10th to 13th centuries. Condition and Provenance: This bronze statue is entirely gilt, depicting a three-dimensional crouching dragon with an S-shaped torso. Its forepaws are raised high, exuding a powerful presence, while its hind paws rest firmly on the base, showcasing a robust and forceful aura. The dragon's facial details are vividly depicted, with a single upright horn, high-set brow ridges, piercing eyes, curly mane, and a sharply defined, open jaw. The sculpture is heavy, exhibiting a deep, ancient, and soft golden hue. Centuries of oxidation have naturally created mottled marks of time, with slight wear on the surface, but no large-scale gilding loss. The statue shows no casting cracks, penetrating damage, welding repairs, or later alterations, with only minor ancient patina in some areas. Overall, it is well-preserved and retains its original appearance. This gilt bronze dragon, originally provided by an antique dealer in Beijing, was acquired in 2026 by a private collector of ancient bronzes in California. California, New York, Vancouver, and London are important global centers for the trade of ancient Chinese gilt bronzes. Description: This Liao-Jin period gilt bronze standing dragon is a masterpiece, perfectly blending the sacrificial art of the Han Dynasty dragon in the Central Plains with the sculptural aesthetics of the northern steppes. The nomadic elites of the Liao-Jin period revered the dragon as an auspicious mythical beast, combining orthodox Central Plains dragon motifs with the powerful grandeur of northern sculpture, creating a piece specifically for aristocratic family display and sacrificial ceremonies. The statue was cast in one piece using the lost-wax method, resulting in a robust structure full of dramatic tension. The S-shaped twisting torso extends upwards, one claw raised high, the other outstretched, perfectly showcasing the dragon's poised-to-pounce posture, breaking away from the stiff and rigid forms commonly found in later imperial dragon statues. Master craftsmen meticulously hand-carved this piece, ensuring every scale is clear, sharp, and evenly textured. The spines on its back are intricately interwoven, and the mane, whiskers, and abdominal armor are also sculpted with unparalleled precision, achieving the highest level of craftsmanship found in the Liao and Jin dynasty imperial workshops. A thick layer of red gold gilding adheres tightly to the bronze core. Thousands of years of natural cycles have created multiple layers of antique patina, with traces of natural oxidation subtly revealing the underlying bronze color between the gold layers—clearly not the result of modern regilding or acid etching. Its dragon form inherits the orthodox dragon characteristics of the Tang and Song dynasties while incorporating the rugged and powerful sculptural style of the northern grasslands, symbolizing nobility, wealth, and divine blessing. Such a well-preserved large gilded bronze dragon sculpture is extremely rare among extant ancient Chinese metalworks. This work has not undergone any restoration or modern renovation, retaining its original casting and gilding state, making it valuable for interdisciplinary research, encompassing fields such as fine art sculpture, ancient metallurgy, and ethnic cultural studies. It is highly sought after by North American bronze collectors and has long-term, stable preservation and appreciation potential.

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