A FINE GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF A SILKWORM, HAN DYNASTY

拍品描述

A FINE GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF A SILKWORM, HAN DYNASTY China, 206 BC-AD 220. Solidly cast and richly gilt, the worm is modeled with a plump, segmented body, flattened to the underside and enlivened on either side by three boldly curled spiral motifs. The body rises at one end to a rounded head, expressively detailed with prominent bulging eyes and a deeply wrinkled snout, the lustrous gilding accentuating the vigorous sculptural modeling. Dimensions: Length 7.1 cm The silkworm was revered as a sacred creature closely associated with agricultural production and the manufacture of silk in ancient China. The origins of silkworm worship can be traced to the Shang dynasty, when rituals connected with sericulture are believed to have included human sacrifice. Representations of the silkworm symbolized the domestication and cultivation of the insect, together with the development of silk weaving, an industry that constituted a fundamental element of the economy of ancient China. The spirit of the silkworm became identified with the legendary Empress Xiling (Leizu) from the third century onwards, who is traditionally credited with the discovery of sericulture. Thereafter, the cult of the silkworm formed part of the imperial ritual calendar. Every year, during the second month of the lunar calendar, the Empress presided over ceremonies in honor of the spirit of the silkworm. Offerings of mulberry leaves and woven silk were presented at altars established in temples or palace precincts dedicated to the silkworm. The Eastern Han dynasty marked a decisive period in the expansion of silk production and long-distance trade in ancient China. The silk-weaving industry continued to flourish, and its products circulated far beyond the frontiers of the empire through the Silk Road. As an essential component of the agrarian economy, sericulture generated substantial revenue for the state while providing an important source of livelihood for a large proportion of the population. The government of the Eastern Han actively promoted the cultivation of mulberry trees and the rearing of silkworms, established official posts responsible for the supervision of sericulture, and encouraged both agricultural production and textile manufacture. Within this context, bronze representations of silkworms most likely fulfilled several complementary functions, combining ritual significance, symbolic associations with prosperity and fertility, and references to the economic importance of sericulture Literature comparison: Compare a closely related gilt-bronze figure of a silkworm, dated to the Han dynasty, 7.3 cm long, in the Minneapolis Institute of Art, accession number 96.55.1. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 17 April 2024, lot 1072 Price: HKD 177,800 approx. EUR 20,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related form. Note the gold sheet and silver embellishments, and the size (10.9 cm). Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Bonhams New York, 21 September 2020, lot 301 Price: USD 12,575 approx. EUR 14,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, manner of casting, and size (7.4 cm). Note the gilding is almost entirely absent in this example, unlike the present lot.

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