A SUPERBLY CARVED WHITE MARBLE FIGURE OF A HARE, TANG DYNASTY

拍品描述

A SUPERBLY CARVED WHITE MARBLE FIGURE OF A HARE, TANG DYNASTY China, 618-907. The rabbit depicted in a crouching pose atop a large rectangular base, with its legs tucked neatly against its plump body. The naturalistically rendered head is distinguished by a pair of prominent eyes and a pronounced snout, flanked by two elongated funnel-shaped ears, symmetrically arranged and laid back along the curve of the body. Dimensions: Length 10.8 cm This carving is a refined example of the small marble figures of hares produced during the Tang dynasty. Such images typically share a similar crouching pose, with the long ears swept back, the head resting on the forepaws, and deeply set oval eyes. The careful naturalistic carving style, together with the natural inclusions and fissures in the marble, lends the figure a remarkable sense of vitality and imminent movement, qualities characteristic of sculpture from the Tang period. Raised on a rectangular base, the present example was most likely intended for use as a weight. In ancient China the moon was represented by a white disc containing a hare, and the rabbit is the fourth animal in the twelve-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac. Literature comparison: Compare a closely related white marble hare, dated early 8th century, 11.3 cm long, formerly in the collection of Richard C. Bull, exhibited in the University Museum, Philadelphia, 1959, sold at Sotheby's New York, 6 December 1983, lot 252, and now in the Cleveland Museum of Art, accession number 1984.6. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie’s New York, 20 March 2015, lot 765 Price: USD 40,000 or approx. EUR 47,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related subject and related modeling and manner of carving. Note the different stone and similar size (12.2 cm). Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie’s New York, 20 September 2013, lot 1511 Price: USD 30,000 or approx. EUR 35,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related subject, manner of carving, and stone. Note the lotus base and the size (13.8 cm).

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