Warring States Inlaid Gold Bronze Recumbent Beast Military Tally,Warring States Period

拍品描述

Measurements:Total length 8.5 cm / 3.35 inches, overall height 2.3 cm / 0.91 inches, total weight 194 grams, Warring States Period, Category: Bronze Military Tally, Primary trading market: CaliforniaCondition & Provenance:The tally was cast with two-piece split mold, clear original mold seam runs along the body without post-casting welding, repair or reshaping. The vessel is crafted from fine tin bronze with dense, solid metal matrix. Natural burial soil encrustation and malachite green patina scatter across the whole surface, firmly bonded to bronze core with no artificial fake rust or chemical corrosion. Fine gold-inlaid seal script inscriptions on the beast’s back remain intact and tightly embedded, lacking major flaking or chipping. The recumbent beast form is fully preserved with no broken head, tail or limbs; interlocking tenon grooves on the base retain untouched original casting texture without grinding or modification. The burial patina is stable, free of peeling or powdery decay. This gold-inlaid bronze military tally was unearthed from a Warring States tomb in central China. It was collected by a prominent Chinese epigraphy collector during the Republic of China era, exported overseas in 1948, and acquired by a bronze specialist private collector based in San Francisco, California, USA in 1999. Stored in constant temperature and humidity storage for decades, the artifact retains untouched original burial crust and intact gold inlay, with fully traceable cross-border collection archives.Object Description:This gold-inlaid bronze beast-shaped military tally dates to China’s Warring States Period, a rare and representative bronze artifact reflecting ancient military administration systems. Sculpted into a docile recumbent sacred beast, the smooth, condensed contours and archaic realistic body proportions perfectly embody Northern China bronze animal sculptural aesthetics of the Warring States age. The tally splits into two matching halves with precise interlocking tenons on the underside, functioning as official authorization tokens for troop deployment. Delicate archaic seal script characters are inlaid with fine gold wire across the beast’s back, showcasing masterful ancient metal inlay craftsmanship that stands as vital physical evidence of Warring States metalworking techniques. Military tallies were core state governance tools in ancient China and are extremely scarce today. Complete beast-form tallies with intact original gold inlay, undisturbed burial patina and zero structural damage rank among top-tier collectibles. This piece delivers extraordinary academic and collecting value covering Warring States bronze casting, gold inlay technology, ancient military regulations and archaic Chinese writing, consistently a flagship lot targeted by California auctions specializing in early Chinese bronzes.

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