† A WHITE AND RUSSET JADE ‘MYTHICAL BEAST’ WEIGHT, HAN DYNASTY

拍品描述

† A WHITE AND RUSSET JADE ‘MYTHICAL BEAST’ WEIGHT, HAN DYNASTY China, 206 BC-220 AD. Finely carved in the round as a crouching beast with tail swept beneath, the tip curling below the chin, the face with a fierce expression, bulging eyes below bushy eyebrows, curved horns flanked by pointed ears, and the mouth open and snarling. The body rendered with an articulate spine flanked by a finely incised mane. The semi-translucent stone is of a milky white color with pale gray bands peppered with black speckles and transitioning to russet and areas of calcification with beige at the base. Dimensions: Length 7.7 cm With a padded storage box. (2) It is rare to find a mat weight made of jade, as most surviving examples were cast in bronze and sometimes embellished with gilding and elaborate inlays of gold, silver, or gemstones, reflecting the status of their owners. Usually produced in sets of four, such weights were placed at the corners of woven seating mats to keep them flat and securely in place, preventing their edges from curling or shifting and catching the long, delicate silk robes worn by members of the elite. Mat weights were used in both domestic and ceremonial settings, including banquets, and examples have also been found in tombs. Literature comparison: Compare a related bronze ‘auspicious animal’ weight with similar features, dated Han dynasty, 7.5 cm diameter, in the National Palace Museum, Taiwan, reference number 中銅000741N000000000. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Bonhams Hong Kong, 28 May 2019, lot 9 Price: HKD 150,625 or approx. EUR 18,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the similar form, feline features, and size (7.6cm). Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Bonhams Hong Kong, 28 May 2019, lot 112 Estimate: HKD 250,000 or approx. EUR 31,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the similar feline subject, form, and size (6.3 cm). Note the material. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie’s, Paris, 14 December 2016, lot 77 Price: EUR 128,500 or approx. EUR 160,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related jade chimera, similarly carved as a recumbent mythical beast with its head turned backward and legs tucked beneath the body. 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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