A SILVER-INLAID AND LACQUERED BRONZE ‘PHOENIX AND HORSES’ MIRROR, TANG DYNASTY

拍品描述

A SILVER-INLAID AND LACQUERED BRONZE ‘PHOENIX AND HORSES’ MIRROR, TANG DYNASTY China, 618-907. Skillfully cast, of square form with rounded corners and raised borders on the reverse, centered by a domed knob and surrounded by silver-inlaid pairs of majestic phoenixes and galloping horses intertwined with luxuriant scrolling foliage and blossoming flower heads, all emerging against a dark lacquer ground. The front of the mirror left undecorated and superbly polished to form its reflective surface. Dimensions: Length 15.9 cm In the Tang dynasty, the ancient art of mirror production flourished with the introduction of new designs and techniques. One novel technique known as jinyin pingtuo developed in the 8th century and involved coating the back of the bronze mirror with lacquer and embellishing the colored surface with motifs inlaid in gold, silver, or mother-of-pearl. Luxury items like the present lot were used by the Tang emperor as diplomatic gifts, and the present mirror is an elegant example of this type, ornamented with silver phoenixes and horses against a dark lacquer ground. The term ‘jinyin’ refers to gold and silver, while ‘pingtuo’ describes a process by which the inlaid decoration is leveled with the surrounding surface and subsequently revealed. The technique was not confined to bronze mirrors but could also be applied to objects made of metal, ceramic, or wood. Although ‘jinyin pingtuo’ and objects decorated in this manner are mentioned in Tang-dynasty texts and are known from archaeological finds as well as examples preserved in museum and private collections, no contemporary account of the materials or manufacturing process appears to survive. The production process has been reconstructed as follows: relatively thick sheets of gold and silver were cut into the desired shapes and applied to a lacquered surface. Further layers of lacquer were then added until the metal decoration was completely concealed. Once dry, the surface was carefully polished or burnished to expose the metal inlays and bring them level with the surrounding lacquer. The technique was exceptionally labor-intensive and costly. Its use was eventually restricted by the government, and it appears to have disappeared after the tenth century. Literature comparison: Compare a closely related silver-inlaid bronze mirror, dated Tang dynasty, 13.4 cm long, in the Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Asian Art, accession number S2012.9.2314. Compare a closely related silver-inlaid bronze mirror, where the lacquer ground has deteriorated, dated 8th century, 27.9 cm diameter, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 22.157.12. Compare a related gold- and silver-inlaid bronze mirror, dated 8th century, 19.2 cm diameter, in the Cleveland Museum of Art, accession number 1973.74. Compare a related mother-of-pearl-inlaid bronze mirror, dated 8th-9th century, 29.2 cm diameter, in the British Museum, registration number 1933,1027.1. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie’s New York, 18 March 2009, lot 240 Price: USD 62,500 or approx. EUR 85,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the related manner of casting, decoration, and motifs. Note the gold inlays and the size (22 cm). Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Bonhams New York, 16 September 2024, lot 99 Price: USD 21,760 or approx. EUR 19,900 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the related manner of casting, decoration, and motifs. Note the gold inlays and the size (21.3 cm).

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