A GILT BRONZE BEAR, HAN DYNASTY, EX J.J. LALLY

拍品描述

A GILT BRONZE BEAR, HAN DYNASTY, EX J.J. LALLY Published & Exhibited: Princeton University Art Museum, Recarving China's Past: Art, Archaeology, and Architecture of the ‘Wu Family Shrines’, 5 March-26 June 2005, p. 418, no. 48. Expert’s note: This lot is accompanied by a copy of the original typed description issued by J.J. Lally & Co., New York, when the sculpture was acquired by the previous owner. Particularly noteworthy are the passages pointing to the “well-delineated head” and the surface, which is “gilded all over on the exterior with some areas showing cuprite and malachite patination.” The original sales price has unfortunately been redacted from the document. According to oral information, however, the figure was acquired for c. USD 20,000, corresponding to approximately EUR 36,000 after adjustment for inflation and conversion at the time of writing. China, 206 BC-AD 220. Well modeled and hollow-cast in the round in a seated position with right paw resting on the right knee and left paw raised, the head with sharply tapered muzzle and the rounded ears pricked, the back of the head and upper body open with two attachment loops below the ears. Dimensions: Height 6 cm (excl. stand), 7.1 cm (incl. stand) With a fitted metal stand. (2) The present fitting exemplifies the centrality of naturalistic animal forms in Han visual culture, where depictions of bears, as symbols of strength, enjoyed popularity in this period such that it was never equaled in subsequent ages. These types of fittings served as feet for the legs of small furniture and vessels usually made of bronze, lacquer, and ceramic. Beyond gilt bronze fittings, bears were also cast as bronze sculptural mat-weights, molded as ceramic tiles, in textiles, and as carved jade and hardstone figures. Bears are native to China, their presence there known since antiquity. They were kept in Han imperial zoos and parks, where the emperor and his entourage enjoyed watching them in performance or in combat with other animals. On the other hand, they were perceived as enlightened creatures and it was believed that they resided in spiritual mountains and possessed the ability to intermediate between heaven and earth. Bears have also been linked with military prowess, shamanism, and immortality. As a corollary, it might be noted that the words for 'bear' and 'virility' are exact homonyms, pronounced xiong. According to the 'Rites of Zhou', Zhou Li, edited during the Han dynasty, bears were employed in exorcism rituals, their skin worn over the head of the performer who, holding a lance and a shield, led the officials to perform the Seasonal Exorcism by searching through houses and driving away pestilences. See J. Lagerway, Early Chinese Religion. Part One. Shang through Han (1250 BC-220 AD), Boston, 2008, page 287. Literature comparison: Compare a closely related gilt-bronze bear-form support, China, Han dynasty, 206 BC-AD 220, 5.6 cm high, in the Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Asian Art, accession number F1917.514. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie’s New York, 16 October 2001, lot 180 Price: USD 10,575 or approx. EUR 17,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, manner of casting, gilding, and size (5.7 cm). Note the aperture above the head. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Bonhams New York, 16 March 2015, lot 2004 Price: USD 52,500 or approx. EUR 65,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, manner of casting, gilding, and size (6.6 cm). Note the aperture above the head and the incised fur.

图片