† A GREEN AND RUSSET JADE ‘DANCING BEAR’ PENDANT, WESTERN HAN DYNASTY

拍品描述

† A GREEN AND RUSSET JADE ‘DANCING BEAR’ PENDANT, WESTERN HAN DYNASTY China, 206 BC-8 AD. Finely carved in the round as mythical dancing bear, with the upper body facing forward and the lower body twisted to the right, the face detailed with circular eyes below bushy brows, framed by furry jowls and tufted ears, and surmounted by two curving horns enclosing heart-form scrolls. The muscular body with the right hand raised to scratch his ear, while the left arm scratches the belly, a wavy tail curls around from behind, and the hind paws are bent with cuticle claws and dimpled pads. The semi-translucent stone is of an olive green color with russet patches and deep surface veins. The surface displaying a soft polish overall with several unpolished round indentations from tubular tools. Dimensions: Height 7.2 cm With a padded storage box. (2) Han dynasty carvings of animal figures illustrate the aesthetic and technical revolution that took place shortly after the fall of the Zhou dynasty. Animals were often studied from life and carvings became endowed with individualized facial features and naturalistic physical likeness. Bears were depicted in Chinese art at least as early as the Shang dynasty and have been a popular totemic emblem since ancient times. From the Han dynasty onwards, and probably even much earlier, bears have also been linked with military prowess, shamanism, and immortality. It might be noted that the words for 'bear' and 'virility' are exact homonyms, pronounced in Chinese as ‘xiong’. Literature comparison: Compare a related jade figure of a mythical beast, dated late Western Han-Eastern Han, 6.8 cm high, in the National Palace Museum, reference number 故玉003523N000000000. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Bonhams Hong Kong, 4 May 2026, lot 6 Price: HKD 243,200 or approx. EUR 27,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the similar subject, dancing pose, tufted details, and expressive manner of carving. Note the much smaller size (4.5 cm). Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: China Guardian, Hong Kong, 29 May 2016, lot 743 Price: HKD 2,596,000 or approx. EUR 345,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the similar pose, curved horns, size (7 cm), and fierce expression. Note the round carving. 13% VAT will be added to the hammer price additional to the buyer's premium - only for buyers within the EU.

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