A PAIR OF GOLD 'DRAGON' HAIRPINS, TONGZAN, SONG TO MING DYNASTY

拍品描述

A PAIR OF GOLD 'DRAGON' HAIRPINS, TONGZAN, SONG TO MING DYNASTY China, circa 12th-15th century. The head of each dragon finely rendered in intricate pierced work and delicate filigree, crowned with a silver-gray natural freshwater pearl set between a pair of scrolling horns. The manes are formed by multiple overlapping strands of fine gold wire, while the elongated hollow body, serving as the pin, is made of brass and constructed from openwork shafts of an almost honeycomb-like structure. Dimensions: Length 3.4 cm and 3.3cm (excl. stand), Height 4.7 cm and 4.7 cm (incl. stand) Each with a fitted ‘Alan Hartman’ velvet stand. (4) Openwork hair ornaments such as the examples here were known as tongzan and were popular from the Song Dynasty onwards. The filigree and openwork combination allowed the hairpins to have an airiness and lightness which was a delight to the eye but also of practical concern to the wearer. Literature comparison: Compare closely related gold filigree set with dragon-head hairpins, Ming dynasty, Xi’an, Qujiang Museum of Fine Arts, XYB0080/1-2. Compare a closely related hairpin with a dragon head design, Song dynasty, 12.6 cm long, in the Shanghai Museum. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Bonhams New York, 21 September 2020, lot 347 Price: USD 6,075 or approx. EUR 6,700 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling and similar pearl decoration. Note the larger size (14.7 cm) and the much later dating.

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