A PAIR OF ORDOS BRONZE TIGER PLAQUES, EASTERN ZHOU DYNASTY

拍品描述

A PAIR OF ORDOS BRONZE TIGER PLAQUES, EASTERN ZHOU DYNASTY Northern China, Inner Mongolia, circa 7th-4th century BC. Powerfully cast as a pair of confronting stylized animals, each shown in profile with a compact, vigorously curved body, raised forelegs, and a large head with prominent circular eye and pierced loop above. The bodies are boldly articulated with deeply cast concentric spiral motifs to the shoulder and haunch, creating a striking rhythmic design characteristic of archaic animal ornament. The surfaces display a rich, naturally developed patina with extensive areas of vivid green encrustation contrasting with the warm reddish-brown bronze. Probably originally conceived as decorative fittings or appliqués, possibly for horse trappings, harness equipment, or related accoutrements. (2) Dimensions: Length 5.2 cm (each) This fine pair of ornaments belongs to a distinctive group of animal-shaped appliqués associated with the nomadic cultures of the Eurasian steppe, examples of which have been excavated from burials where they once adorned the front of garments. Animal plaques, particularly those depicting tigers and other powerful felines, were also widespread along China’s northern and western frontiers. The present examples find striking parallels in the stylized creatures adorning the celebrated gold bands from the Ziwiye hoard in Kurdistan, reflecting the remarkable transmission of animal-style imagery across the ancient steppe world. Such motifs ultimately penetrated deep into China, where they exerted a lasting influence on the development of indigenous animal ornament. Literature comparison: Compare a closely related bronze harness ornament with a crouching tiger, Northeast China, dated 7th-6th century BC, 10.2 cm long, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 2002.201.16. Compare a related bronze plaque of a wild boar with similar decoration, Northwest China, dated 5th-4th century BC, 4.1 cm long, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 2002.201.59. Compare a related Ordos bronze plaque of a tiger attacking ibex, dated circa 4th-2nd century BC, 8 cm long, the British Museum, registration number 1973,0726.90. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Bonhams London, 5 July 2018, lot 161 Price: GBP 8,750 or approx. EUR 14,000 (for one) converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the related casting manner and modeling with a similar patina. Note the size (10.5 cm) and slightly different motif. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie’s New York, 16 March 2017, lot 833 Price: USD 13,750 or approx. EUR 16,000 (for one) converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the related casting manner and modeling of the eye and ear. Note the size (7.8 cm) and slightly different motif.

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