A RARE AND IMPORTANT SILVER FUNERARY MASK, LIAO DYNASTY

拍品描述

A RARE AND IMPORTANT SILVER FUNERARY MASK, LIAO DYNASTY China, 907-1125. Carefully modeled to the contours of the deceased’s face, with finely stippled eyebrows above closed eyes, a long protruding nose above a thin mouth with subtly bow-shaped lips, and pierced with several small holes below each ear. Expert’s note: Metal funerary masks are among the most distinctive features of Khitan burial practice during the Liao dynasty. While masks of bronze and other copper alloys are comparatively well represented among excavated examples, those made of silver are considerably rarer. This disparity appears to reflect a deliberate hierarchy of materials rather than mere differences in availability: archaeological evidence indicates that the metal employed for funerary masks and accompanying wire-mesh burial suits corresponded to the rank of the deceased. Bronze and copper were used more widely, whereas silver was associated with members of the upper elite and the clans connected with the imperial house. At the very highest level, gold was employed, most famously for the masks of the Princess of Chen and her consort, whose intact tomb, dated to 1018, also contained silver wire burial suits. A funerary mask fashioned entirely from silver must therefore be understood not simply as a more luxurious version of the common bronze type, but as an exceptionally prestigious burial object reflecting the elevated status of the individual for whom it was made. Dimensions: Height 20.8 cm Funerary masks are closely associated with the burial culture of the Qidan Liao dynasty and were an essential element of elite tombs in Inner Mongolia and northern China. Made in different materials according to rank, including bronze, silver, and gold, these masks were placed directly over the face of the deceased as part of elaborate funerary rites intended to preserve the body and secure immortality in the afterlife. The practice continued a long-standing tradition among the nomadic peoples of the northern frontier, while also absorbing Daoist and Buddhist concepts concerning the transformation and protection of the deceased. The present bronze mask represents the type used by members of the aristocracy and official elite. Even more luxurious examples include the two gold masks discovered in the tomb of Princess Chen and her consort, dated 1018, at Qinglongshan, Inner Mongolia, illustrated for example in Zhu Qixinin, ‘The Liao Dynasty tomb of a Prince and Princess of the Chen Kingdom’, Orientations, October 1991, fig. 11. Fashioned from thin hammered gold sheet and intended to resemble the facial features of the deceased, these masks demonstrate the importance of preserving identity beyond death. The present example, executed in silver sheet, reflects the same funerary concept on a lesser luxurious scale, yet retains the powerful and solemn expression characteristic of Liao mortuary art. The preservation of the physical remains of the deceased was central to Qidan beliefs, and silver masks such as the present example would originally have been accompanied by other protective and status-related elements, including silver and gold garments, textiles, and personal ornaments. Literature comparison: Compare closely related silver funerary mask with remnants of silver, also dated to Liao dynasty, early 12th century, in the Philadelphia Museum of Art, accession number 2012-53-1. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby’s London, 14 May 2008, lot 92 Price: GPB 26,900 or approx. EUR 54,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling with similar expression. Note the different material. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Sotheby’s Paris, 4 June 2026, lot 220 Price: EUR 8,960 Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling with similar expression. Note the remnants of gilt and the size (24 cm).

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