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A GILT-BRONZE STANDING FIGURE OF BUDDHA, UNIFIED SILLA DYNASTY, KOREA, 8TH - 9TH CENTURYFinely cast standing with his right hand raised in abhaya mudra and his left lowered in varada mudra, wearing thickly cast voluminous robes which drape from his chest to his ankles in neatly carved U-shaped folds. His serene face with heavy-lidded eyes below gently arched brows, his full lips forming a calm smile, flanked by long pendulous earlobes. The hair arranged in tight curls over the domed ushnisha.Provenance: From the collection of Mr. and Mrs. John Marsing, and thence by descent in the same family. John Marsing (1918-1998) was a Danish businessman who, at the age of 20, had established a pharmaceutical company, Marsing & Co. The firm expanded during the mid-20th century and had branches all over Europe, Canada, and Korea. Marsing was very interested in Asian culture and a passionate collector of Asian works of art, particularly from the Himalayas, China, and Korea. He built a substantial collection over decades, buying in Asia and from antique dealers in Denmark as well as auction houses all around Europe.Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, particularly to gilt, signs of weathering and erosion, minor fatigue cracks to the neck, nicks, scratches, losses, casting flaws, encrustations. The bronze with a fine, naturally grown, dark patina.Weight: 1,511 g (incl. stand) Dimensions: Height 25.6 cm (incl. stand) and 20.6 cm (excl. stand) Mounted on a wood stand. (2)The backside of the figure is hollowed with an oval opening at the back of the head above a second, oblong opening at the body, the latter with remnants of a peg inside.The present figure exemplifies the refined style of Buddhist sculpture from the Unified Silla dynasty, which lasted from the late seventh through the ninth centuries and was a period of political stability when an international style held sway throughout East Asia.Literature comparison: For a related figure in the collection of the Nezu Museum, see Matsubara Saburo, ed., Kankoku kondobutsu Kenkyu (Study of Korean gilt bronze Buddhist figures), 1985, page 167 b. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie's New York, 25 April 2017, lot 82 Price: USD 106,250 or approx. EUR 122,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A gilt-bronze standing figure of Buddha, Unified Silla dynasty, 8th-9th century Expert remark: Compare the closely related manner of casting and modeling with similar robes and pose, as well as the similarly hollowed reserve at the backside, with three openings. Note the similar size (18.4 cm).Auction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Christie's New York, 16 March 2021, lot 252Price: USD 162,500 or approx. EUR 173,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A gilt-bronze standing figure of Buddha, Unified Silla to Early Goryeo dynasty, 9th-10th centuryExpert remark: Compare the closely related manner of casting and modeling with similar robes and pose, as well as the similarly hollowed reserve and extensive wear to gilt. Note the larger size (25.4 cm). 韓國八至九世紀新羅王朝鎏金銅佛立像佛陀立像，右手舉起施無畏印，左手低垂，結與願印；身穿寬大袈裟，從胸前垂至腳踝，衣紋流暢。他面容平靜安詳，雙眼微閉，嘴唇露出微笑，兩側是長耳垂，頭髮在頭頂成螺髻。 來源：John Marsing私人收藏，在同一家族保存至今。 品相：狀況良好，嚴重磨損，尤其是鎏金、風化和侵蝕跡象、頸部輕微裂紋、刻痕、劃痕、結殼。自然包漿。 重量：1,511 克 (含底座) 尺寸：高 25.6 厘米 (含底座) 與20.6 厘米 (不含底座) 木底座 (2) 造像背面為空心，頭後部與身體上個有一個橢圓形開口，有一個釘子的殘餘。 拍賣比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：紐約佳士得，2017年4月25日，lot 82 價格：USD 106,250（相當今日EUR 122,000） 描述：八至九世紀新羅王朝鎏金銅佛立像 專家註釋：比較非常相近鑄造風格、相似的長袍、姿勢，以及背面空心有三個洞。請注意相似的尺寸 (18.4 厘米)。 拍賣比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：紐約佳士得，2021年3月16日，lot 252 價格：USD 162,500（相當今日EUR 173,000） 描述：九至十世紀新羅王朝製高麗王朝鎏金銅佛立像 專家註釋：比較非常相近鑄造風格 、相似的長袍、姿勢，以及背面空心和鎏金磨損。請注意尺寸較大 (25.4 厘米)。由于平台拍品叙述的长度限制，我们移除了中文叙述，完整中文叙述请至www.zacke.at查看

A MAGNIFICENT GILT-COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF MUNSU (MANJUSRI), JOSEON DYNASTYScientific Analysis Report: A thermoluminescence analysis report issued by Oxford Authentication on 17 April 2023, based on sample number N123c91, sets the firing date of one sample taken between 180 and 300 years ago. A copy of the report accompanies this lot.Korea, 1720-1840. Heavily cast, the bodhisattva of wisdom seated in lalitasana atop a lotus pillow, holding a jewel in his left and a scepter in his right, wearing thickly cast voluminous robes with finely detailed folds. His serene face with heavy-lidded downcast eyes below elegantly arched brows centered by a raised circular urna, the mouth with slender bow-shaped lips slightly agape. The hair neatly incised and piled up into a high topknot behind the open worked foliate tiara.Provenance: From a German private collection. Condition: Old wear, casting flaws, signs of weathering, rubbing and losses to gilt, small nicks and dents, shallow surface scratches, minor losses, and fatigue cracks with traces of soldering. Possibly minute old fills and/or repair work. Displaying remarkably well, and extremely rare in this overall excellent state of preservation, commensurate with size and age.Weight: 9.1 kg Dimensions: Height 60.5 cm Expert's note: This gilt-copper alloy figure was originally part of a triad, with the two bodhisattvas Munsu (Manjusri) and Bohyeon (Samantabhadra) flanking Seokga (Buddha Shakyamuni). In this triad, the bodhisattvas are often depicted riding their respective vehicles, the tiger and elephant, and consistently appear in the same position with Munsu to the left of Seokga and Bohyeon to the right. It is clear from the position of the present figure's hanging leg and the scepter held in his right hand, that the present lot depicts Munsu. Furthermore, the hollow lotus pillow the figure is seated on shows obvious signs that it was once attached to a base or figure, which would have been a tiger. Note that large gilt bronzes from Korea, such as the present lot, are generally considered to be exceedingly rare. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's New York, 19 March 2019, lot 363 Price: USD 75,000 or approx. EUR 81,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A gilt wood sculpture of a seated Bodhisattva, Joseon dynasty, probably second half 17th century Expert remark: Compare the related modeling with similar face and robes. Note the different material and size (80 cm).Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's London, 6 November 2018, lot 29 Price: GBP 17,500 or approx. EUR 27,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A gilt bronze seated figure of Avalokiteshvara, Korea, Joseon period, 17th century Expert remark: Compare the related manner of casting, with similarly formed thick robes, and the closely related alloy and gilding. Note the much smaller size (23.5 cm). 朝鮮王朝銅鎏金文殊像韓國, 1720-1840年。文殊菩薩休閑坐，左手持寶珠，右執如意，身著袈裟，衣紋流暢。他面容平靜，雙眼低垂，眉​​毛中間有白毫，嘴微張。髮髻高束，鏤空葉狀王冠。科學檢測報告： Oxford Authentication 於2023 年 4 月 17 日出具一份熱釋光分析報告，樣本編號 N123c91，確定樣本的製作日期為 180 至 300 年前。隨附報告副本。 來源：德國私人收藏。 品相：磨損、鑄造缺陷、風化跡象、鎏金損失、小刻痕和凹痕、表面淺劃痕，小缺損，以及帶有焊接痕蹟的裂紋，可能有小填充或小修。整體保存狀況極佳。 重量：9.1 公斤 尺寸：高 60.5 厘米 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：紐約佳士得，2019年3月19日，lot 363 價格：USD 75,000（相當於今日EUR 81,000） 描述：可能為十七世紀後半葉朝鮮鎏金木雕觀音坐像 專家評論：比較相近的面部和長袍。請注意不同的材料和尺寸 (80 釐米)。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：倫敦佳士得，2018年11月6日，lot 29 價格：GBP 17,500（相當於今日EUR 27,000） 描述：韓國十七世紀鎏金銅觀世音菩薩坐像 專家評論：比較相近的鑄造風格、相似的厚實長袍 ，以及非常相近的合金和鎏金。請注意尺寸較小 (23.5 釐米)。

AN IMPORTANT SILVER-INLAID GOLD REPOUSSE BOWL DEPICTING GARUDA, VIETNAM, FORMER KINGDOMS OF CHAMPA, CIRCA 10TH CENTURYSuperbly worked, the deep rounded sides supported on a tall faceted foot and flaring to a beaded rim, finely decorated to the exterior with overlapping trefoil-arched panels enclosing rosettes and scrolling foliage, below interlocking scrolling vines. The foot with square panels and indented corners enclosing rosettes, all against ring-punched grounds. The interior with a circular silver-inlaid base depicting a winged Garuda with human face, wearing a richly incised dhoti, foliate crown, and fine jewelry, his arms raised as if about to take flight, surrounded by leafy lotus blossoms, enclosed by a beaded border. Provenance: Ex-Collection of The Zelnik Istvan Southeast Asian Gold Museum. Institutional art collection in Belgium, acquired from the above. Dr. Istvan Zelnik, President of the Hungarian South and Southeast Asian Research Institute, is a former high-ranking Hungarian diplomat who spent several decades in Southeast Asia, building the largest known private collection of Asian art in Europe. Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age, with old wear and casting flaws, small losses, some tarnishing, and dents, all exactly as expected of a gold object more than a thousand years old.Weight: 243.9 g Dimensions: Diameter 18.8 cm Garuda is a half-bird, half-human creature that appears in both Hinduism and Buddhism. The mythological account of Garuda's birth in the Mahabharata identifies him as the younger brother of Aruna, the charioteer of the sun god, Surya. Garuda's mother, Vinata, mother of the birds, was tricked into becoming the slave of her sister and co-wife, Kadru, mother of the nagas (serpents). The lasting enmity between the birds, particularly Garuda, and the serpents is attributed to this. The nagas agreed to release Vinata if Garuda could obtain for them a drink of the elixir of immortality, the amrita or soma. Garuda performed the feat, thus giving the snakes the ability to slough off their old skins, and on his return Garuda met Vishnu, agreeing to serve him as his vehicle. Garuda is described in one text as emerald in color, with the beak of a hawk, roundish eyes, golden wings, and four arms and with a breast, knees, and legs like those of a hawk. He is also depicted anthropomorphically, with wings and hawk-like features. Sometimes images of Garuda are used by devotees of Vishnu to designate their affiliations; such images appear on coins throughout various periods and on jewelry and ritual vessels, like this lot. Garuda, also known as Garula, are golden-winged birds in Buddhist religious texts. Under the Buddhist concept of samsara, they are one of the Aṣṭagatyaḥ, the eight classes of inhuman beings.Expert's note: Depictions of Garuda with a human face like on the present lot are considerably rarer than their bird-faced counterparts, but are found across different cultures and materials. Compare an ivory relief depicting Garuda from Nepal, 10 cm high, dated to the 14th century, in the Victoria & Albert Museum, accession number IS.124-1999. Compare a bronze plaque depicting Garuda from East Java, 12.7 cm high, dated c. 1300, in the Norton Simon Museum, accession number P.2003.01.10. Compare a terracotta sculpture of Garuda from Western Thailand, 48 cm high, dated to the first half of the 7th century, excavated from site 40, Khu Bua, Ratchaburi Province, by the Fine Arts Department, Thailand, in 1962, and now in the National Museum, Bangkok, exhibited by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Lost Kingdoms: Hindu-Buddhist Sculpture of Early Southeast Asia, 5th to 8th Century, 14 April-27 July 2014. Compare a granite figure of Garuda from India, Tamil Nadu, 137.8 cm high, dated second half of the 8th to early 9th century, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 1983.518. Compare a gray schist turban ornament with Garuda from Gandhara, 11.4 cm high, dated 2nd-3rd century, at Christie's New York, 18 March 2015, lot 4009.

AN IMPORTANT BRONZE STATUE OF BUDDHA WITHIN A FLAMING AUREOLE, INDONESIA, CENTRAL JAVA, 8TH-9TH CENTURYGracefully cast, the standing Buddha holds both hands out in chin mudra, the gesture of consciousness, evoking peace and concentration. He is clad in a long diaphanous sanghati, his face with sinuously lidded downcast eyes and full lips, the hair arranged in snail-shell curls around the ushnisha. The head is backed by a circular aureole, from which twelve lambent flames emerge, the twelfth flame hidden behind Buddha's back.Provenance: Collection of Paul J. Jewell, acquired 1984 in Singapore. A copy of a provenance statement written and signed by Paul J. Jewell, dated 15 April 2023, confirming the provenance stated above, accompanies this lot. Paul J. Jewell lived and worked in South East Asia for over 20 years, serving as the executive director of the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam. To this day, he continues to collect Asian art and antiquities. Condition: Excellent condition, commensurate with age, with ancient wear, minor signs of weathering and erosion, expected casting irregularities, small losses and nicks. The bronze encrusted with a rich, naturally grown patina of vibrant malachite-green color overall. Displaying exceptionally well.Weight: 3,050 g (incl. stand) Dimensions: Height 33.1 cm (incl. stand), 28.2 cm, (excl. stand) Mounted to a wood and metal stand. (2)Expert's note: Buddhist art produced in Indonesia during the 8th and 9th centuries under the patronage of the Shailendra dynasty displays a unique amalgam of regional artistic styles borrowed from the Indian subcontinent. The flowing contours of the body subtly delineated beneath the diaphanous garment are reminiscent of the Gupta style of northern India while the sloping shoulders and oval face with full cheeks recall the Sri Lankan Buddha images produced in Anuradhapura during the 7th and 8th centuries.In Buddhist art, the nimbus is often imagined as consisting not just of light, but also of real flames. While this type seems to first appear in Chinese bronzes of which the earliest surviving examples date from before 450, it became something of a hallmark for the most important Chola bronzes, such as Shiva Nataraja, an image which emerged around 800 AD in Southern India, at the height of the Chola Empire. In the present statue, the depiction of the twelve flames is rather formal, as they are neatly arranged in identical intervals around a ring aureole, almost like on an ancient sundial.Literature comparison:Compare a related Javanese bronze standing figure of Buddha, 19 cm high, dated 9th-10th century, in the British Museum, registration number 1859,1228.98. Compare a related Javanese bronze figure of a seated Buddha Vairocana, 19.4 cm high, dated late 9th century, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 1987.142.23. Compare a related Indonesian bronze figure of Buddha, 26.7 cm high, dated 7th-8th century, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 1993.64.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's New York, 20 March 2012, lot 148 Price: USD 22,500 or approx. EUR 27,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A bronze figure of Buddha, Indonesia, Srivijaya, Palambang, 8th century Expert remark: Compare the closely related facial features and pose. Note the similar size (34.3 cm) and patina. Also note the extensive weathering, losses, and other condition issues.

A MONUMENTAL BRONZE HEAD OF BUDDHA, LAN NA, NORTHERN THAILAND, 14TH-15th CENTURYExpert's note: Thai bronzes of this size and preservation are exceptionally rare, particularly those that are over 500 years old. It's challenging to imagine the immense scale of the complete sculpture to which this head belonged, standing at well over 2 meters tall. Only a few works of similar magnitude have endured the test of time, and this magnificent head is among the largest privately owned examples. Despite centuries passing, it has retained all its spirit, a near-magical presence, a sense of tranquility, and, above all, its ability to inspire.Buddha's slightly elongated oval face with outlined smiling lips, aquiline nose, neatly incised heavy-lid downcast eyes below finely arched eyebrows in relief, his ears with extended pierced earlobes, the hair arranged in rows of snail shell curls, surmounted by an ushnisha.The bronze heavily cast and with a rich naturally grown patina, showing distinct malachite encrustations. The surface with natural wear overall, resulting from centuries of worshipping.Provenance: From an old private collection in Palm Beach, Florida, USA. Sotheby's New York, 23 March 1995, lot 101. A private collection in New Jersey, USA, acquired from the above, and thence by descent within the family.Condition: Superb condition, commensurate with age, showing extensive wear, weathering, and expected casting flaws. Some losses, nicks, and scratches. The interior of the head with a filling used to mount the head to the stand. The wood base with age cracks and flaking to lacquer.Weight: 24.7 kg (excl. stand)Dimensions: Height 40.5 cm (the head) and 60 cm (incl. stand) Mounted on a wood base, dating from the 20th century. (2)The present bronze bears distinctive features of the Sukhothai style, evident in its oval shape, hairline, and aquiline nose. A closely related example from the Sukhothai tradition is a bronze head now housed in the Sawanvoranayok National Museum (see literature comparison). However, there are slight variations in the facial treatment, such as less upswept eyes and fuller lips. The face also shows arched eyebrows, an upward turn at the sides of the mouth, and an oval marking on the chin. The flowing curves of these features come together harmoniously, making this sculpture an excellent representation of the neighboring Lan Na Kingdom's artistic style. Lan Na was a powerful state in Northern Thailand and actively promoted Buddhism, shaping their Buddhist sculptures with influences from the Sukhothai kingdom.During the late 13th century, Sukhothai reached its peak under King Ram Khamhaeng's reign. However, after his death, the kingdom declined, and various tributary states began to break away rapidly. Lan Na annexed Tak, an ancient town in Sukhothai, and other regions to the north and west asserted their independence. By the 14th century, Sukhothai had diminished to a local power and eventually became a tributary state of the Ayutthaya Kingdom, a neighboring Thai polity. In 1438, after the death of Borommapan, Ayutthaya annexed Sukhothai, bringing an end to its independent existence.Literature comparison:Compare a closely related Buddha bronze head, dated to the 14th-15th century, from Wat Mai, Sukhothai, now in the Sawanvoranayok National Museum, illustrated in Ancient Sukhothai: Thailand's Cultural Heritage, Dawn F. Rooney, 2008, pp. 198-99. Compare closely related Buddhas, held in Thai temples, illustrated in Stratton, Buddhist Sculpture of Northern Thailand, Chiang Mai, 2004, pp. 163-179, & figs. 7.50-7.58. Compare the fragmentary example held in the National Museum, Lamphun, published in Bowie (ed.), The Sculpture of Thailand, New York, 1972, p. 94-5, no. 55. Compare a closely related Buddha head at the National Museum of Bangkok and published in J. Boisselier, La sculpture en Thailande, Fribourg, 1987, pl. 111.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely relatedAuction: Bonhams, Paris, 25-26 October 2022, lot 83Price: EUR 176,775 or approx. EUR 182,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A copper alloy head of Buddha, Thailand, Sukhothai School, Kampheng Phet, 14th centuryExpert remark: Compare the closely related manner of casting and modeling with similar features. Note the similar size (43 cm).Auction result comparison: Type: Closely relatedAuction: Christie's, London, 11 May 2016, lot 82Price: GBP 60,000 or approx. EUR 101,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A monumental bronze head of Buddha, Thailand, Lan Na period, 15th centuryExpert remark: Compare the closely related manner of casting and modeling with similar features. Note the slightly larger size (45 cm).

A LIFESIZE BRONZE HAND OF BUDDHA, AYUTTHAYA KINGDOMThailand, 14th-15th century. Cast with thin and elongated fingers neatly detailed with nails and creases, finely modeled in the vitarka mudra, the gesture of discussion, the palm with two naturalistic creases that extend to the base of the wrist which is covered by the lightly draped sleeve. The bronze with a rich, naturally grown, smooth patina with malachite and cuprite encrustations.Provenance: Collection de M. L., Paris, France. Condition: The fragment in good condition, commensurate with age, with wear and casting irregularities, soil encrustation, wear and weathering, losses. Presenting spectacularly well.Weight: 1,399 g Dimensions: Height 29.4 cm Mounted on an associated metal stand. (2)Literature comparison:Compare two related Thai bronze hands, dated to the 14th century, in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, accession numbers 1994-148-770 and 1994-148-771.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie's New York, 24 April 2013, lot 52 Price: USD 5,250 or approx. EUR 6,300 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A Thai bronze hand Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling with similar creases articulated in the palm and similarly elongated fingers. Note the slightly smaller size (22.4 cm).

A BRONZE FIGURE OF GANESHA, ANGKOR PERIOD, KHMER EMPIRE, 11TH-12TH CENTURY OR EARLIERSeated in dhyanasana on a double lotus base, clad in a short sampot elegantly tied with a butterfly tang to the back. The deity is richly adorned in floral jewelry, a headdress and conical crown, holding modaks in his two hands, Ganesha's favorite dish, his face with a long trunk flanked by large ears. Superb naturally grown patina with smooth malachite and cuprite encrustations.Provenance: A noted private collection in Bavaria, Germany. A copy of a certificate dating the present lot as early as the 7th-8th century, signed by Dr. Hoang Anh Tuan, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of History, dated 11 May 2018, accompanies this lot. A collector's label to the base, 'Tp Ho Chi Minh, Bao Tang Lich Su 1979'.Condition: Good condition with minor ancient wear, casting irregularities, small losses, tiny nicks, and minor dents. Weathering and traces of erosion.Weight: 190.1 g Dimensions: Height 9.2 cm The matching double lotus throne is cast separately and neatly incised with numerous lotus petals in high relief. (2)God of wisdom and remover of obstacles both visible and invisible, the elephant-headed Ganesha is invoked at the commencement of any new undertaking or journey. As the deity's spirit was thought to reside within its likeness, this small bronze statue would thus constitute a perfect traveling companion, guiding its owner towards wise decisions and safe paths.Literature comparison: Compare a closely related figure of Ganesha, dated to the 12th-13th century, in the collection of the Minneapolis Institute of Art, accession number 99.216.11.Auction result comparison:Type: Closely related Auction: Christie's New York, 25 March 2004, lot 167 Price: USD 8,963 or approx. EUR 13,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A rare bronze figure of Ganesha, Khmer, Angkor period, Baphuon style, late 11th centuryExpert remark: Note the identical size (9.2 cm).

A BRONZE FIGURE OF BUDDHA MUCHALINDA, KHMER EMPIRE, ANGKOR PERIODKhmer Empire, 12th-13th century. Cast seated in meditation on a coiled snake, his hands held in his lap in dhyanamudra, wearing a dhoti secured at the waist, a thick torque around his neck, the face with a benign expression flanked by pendulous earlobes, the hair pulled into a conical chignon surmounted by an ushnisha and secured with a wide tiara.The seven-headed serpent rising above his head to form a hood sheltering the figure. The faces of the nagas remarkably well-defined and with neatly incised scales.Provenance: From a noted private collection in Belgium. Condition: Very good condition with old wear and some minor casting flaws, small nicks and losses, and tiny scratches. A naturally grown, fine deep brown and dark green patina overall. Ancient soil encrustations and remnants of pigment.Weight: 1,851 g (incl. stand) Dimensions: Height 23.6 cm (excl. stand) and 25.5 cm (incl. stand) Mounted on an associated wood base.This iconic image of Siddartha Gautama's pursuit of enlightenment shows the scene when torrential rain threatened to drown him. The king of the nagas, Muchalinda, rose from the earth, coiling his body to form a seat swelling his great hood to shelter Buddha beneath his seven-headed canopy. Only few early examples of this type have been recorded. The well-modeled naga hood in later stylistic development dissolves into greater ornamentation; compare to an in situ example of a stone sculpture of Buddha Muchalinda, illustrated in M. Freeman and R. Warner, Angkor, The Hidden Glories, 1990, page 128.Literature comparison:Compare a related bronze figure of Buddha Muchalinda, 16 cm high, dated to the Angkor period, 12th century, in the National Museum in Phnom Penh, inventory number NMC.419. Compare a related bronze figure of Buddha Muchalinda, 14.2 cm high, dated to the Angkor period, 12th century, in the National Museum in Phnom Penh, inventory number NMC.414. Compare a related bronze figure of Buddha Muchalinda, 11.4 cm high, dated to the Angkor period, 12th-13th century, in the Brooklyn Museum, accession number 83.237.4.Auction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Christie's New York, 20 March 2002, lot 11Price: USD 94,000 or approx. EUR 149,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A bronze figure of Buddha Muchalinda, Khmer, Bayon style, late 12th/13th centuryExpert remark: Note the larger size (29.1 cm).Auction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Christie's New York, 20 March 2009, lot 1433Price: USD 15,000 or approx. EUR 20,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A bronze figure of Buddha Muchalinda, Thailand, Lobpuri period, 13th centuryExpert remark: Note the smaller size (19.5 cm).

A LARGE AND IMPORTANT BRONZE FIGURE OF SADASHIVA, ANGKOR PERIOD, BAYON STYLEKhmer Empire, 12th-13th century. Standing on a small square plinth in sampada with his arms radiating around him, the five-headed deity clad in a short sampot with fishtail pleat and jeweled sash, incised finely with foliate decorations. His hands depicted holding his attributes. The body finely ornamented in jewelry, including a collar necklace, bracelets, armbands, earrings, and an ornate diadem. The five faces finely cast with almond-shaped eyes, aquiline nose, an urna, full lips and ears with pendulous earrings.Provenance: Old Spanish private collection, acquired in the 1960s. Old French private collection, acquired from the above in 1998. Jacques Barrere, Paris, France, acquired from the above. A copy of a signed expertise from Jacques Barrere Art D'Extrême Orient, dated 30 September 2005, confirming the dating and provenance above, accompanies this lot. The Jacques Barrere Gallery is located in the heart of Paris, in the Saint-Germain-des-Pres district. Since 1969, it has held exhibitions to promote and preserve Far-Eastern art. The gallery specializes in Chinese sculpture, archaeology, ceramics and decorative arts, as well as Japanese works of art and porcelain. Statuary art from Gandhara, India or South-East Asia is also regularly displayed. Objects once owned by Barrere are now in major museums around the world, including the Guimet, the Cernuschi, and the Shanghai Museum. The Barrere gallery is a regular exhibitor at TEFAF in Maastricht.Condition: Good condition commensurate with age. As expected, there is extensive wear, some casting flaws, losses, signs of weathering and erosion, few nicks and shallow surface scratches, fatigue cracks with associate losses and old fills, all as expected from a Khmer bronze of nearly 1,000 years of age. Superb, naturally grown, rich patina with extensive malachite encrustation and faint hues of cuprite.Weight: 3,077 g cm (excl. stand), 3,372 g (including base)Dimensions: Height 40.6 cm (excl. stand), 46 cm (including base) With a modern wood base. (2)Five-headed images of Shiva appear in Khmer Art from the tenth century onwards. This Bayon period bronze of the late twelfth to early thirteenth centuries represents the god in his form as either Sadashiva or Mahesha. Indian texts state that the highest principle of Shiva is transcendent and without form. Sadashiva is considered to represent the god as he begins to assume form in the material world. When fully manifested in the physical world, Shiva is considered as Mahesha. These two forms are characterized by five heads arranged in two tiers, four facing the cardinal directions and the fifth on top, and ten arms each holding an attribute. The primary face is marked with Shiva's characteristic third eye.The five faces are believed to represent earth, water, fire, wind, and sky, or - alternatively - violence (south face), maternity (north face), joy (west face), union (east face), and benevolence (face on top of the head). Sadashiva, a name particularly given to the five-faced and ten-armed Shiva, also directly refers to the benevolence on top of the head. It was introduced from India to the Khmer kingdom in the ninth century during the reign of Jayavarman II.Shaivism was the most prevalent sect of Hinduism and was sponsored by numerous Angkorian kings over the centuries. A well-developed sculptural tradition based around this sect consequently arose and Shiva was depicted in many forms, varying from the aniconic linga to large scale images in the round. Five-headed images of Shiva such as this example were executed in both stone and bronze and represent one of the more unique depictions of the deity.Literature comparison:Compare a bronze figure of Sadashiva in Angkor et dix siecles d'art Khmer, Exhibition Catalogue, Paris: Reunion des Musees Nationaux, 1997, pl.111. Compare a closely related Khmer Bayon-style bronze of Shiva as Sadashiva or Mahesha, 28 cm high, dated to the late 12th-early 13th century, in the Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore, accession number 2015-00374. Also compare a closely related Khmer period bronze of Standing Shiva, dated to the 12th century, in the collection of Miho Museum, Japan. Also compare a closely related Khmer bronze of Sadashiva, dated to circa 12th-13th century, in the Champasak Provincial Museum, Pakse, Laos. Also compare with another Sadashiva idol on display at Bangkok National Museum. And also compare with another figure bronze figure of Shiva with five arms and heads, 35 cm high, in the Musee National de Phnom Penh.Auction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Christie's New York, 20 September 2000, lot 157Price: USD 138,000 or approx. EUR 225,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: An Important Bronze Figure of Avalokiteshvara, Khmer, Koh Ker Style, 10th CenturyExpert remark: Note the similar size (44 cm). Bronze figures from the Khmer empire with a size exceeding 40 cm are extremely rare, which is why this comparison was chosen, although this statue is from Koh Ker and dates to the 10th century.

A LARGE BRONZE FIGURE OF SADASHIVA, ANGKOR PERIOD, BAYON STYLEExhibited: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, USA, according to the expertise from Jacques Barrere Art D'Extrême Orient, dated 9 July 2001.Khmer Empire, late 12th to early 13th century. Standing on a small square plinth in sampada with his arms radiating around him, the five-headed deity is clad in a short sampot with fishtail pleat and jeweled sash, to the back a flared tang. The body finely ornamented in jewelry, including a collar necklace, bracelets, armbands, earrings, and an ornate diadem. The five faces finely cast with almond-shaped eyes, an aquiline nose, an urna, and full lips.Provenance: Former Pan Asian Collection. Jacques Barrere, Paris, France, acquired from the above. A copy of a signed expertise from Jacques Barrere Art D'Extrême Orient, dated 9 July 2001, confirming the dating and provenance above, accompanies this lot. The expertise also states a 'replacement value' of 170,000 FF or EUR 37,500, converted and adjusted for inflation. The Jacques Barrere Gallery is located in the heart of Paris, in the Saint-Germain-des-Pres district. Since 1969, it has held exhibitions to promote and preserve Far-Eastern art. The gallery specializes in Chinese sculpture, archaeology, ceramics and decorative arts, as well as Japanese works of art and porcelain. Statuary art from Gandhara, India or South-East Asia is also regularly displayed. Objects once owned by Barrere are now in major museums around the world, including the Guimet, the Cernuschi, and the Shanghai Museum. The Barrere gallery is a regular exhibitor at TEFAF in Maastricht.Condition: Excellent condition, commensurate with age. There is extensive wear, some casting flaws, minor losses, signs of weathering and erosion, small nicks and shallow surface scratches, all as expected from a Khmer bronze of nearly 1,000 years of age. Faint remnants of gilt.Weight: 3,557 gDimensions: Height 38.8 cm Five-headed images of Shiva appear in Khmer Art from the tenth century onwards. This Bayon period bronze of the late twelfth to early thirteenth centuries represents the god in his form as either Sadashiva or Mahesha. Indian texts state that the highest principle of Shiva is transcendent and without form. Sadashiva is considered to represent the god as he begins to assume form in the material world. When fully manifested in the physical world, Shiva is considered as Mahesha. These two forms are characterized by five heads arranged in two tiers, four facing the cardinal directions and the fifth on top, and ten arms each holding an attribute. The primary face is marked with Shiva's characteristic third eye.The five faces are believed to represent earth, water, fire, wind, and sky, or - alternatively - violence (south face), maternity (north face), joy (west face), union (east face), and benevolence (face on top of the head). Sadashiva, a name particularly given to the five-faced and ten-armed Shiva, also directly refers to the benevolence on top of the head. It was introduced from India to the Khmer kingdom in the ninth century during the reign of Jayavarman II.Shaivism was the most prevalent sect of Hinduism and was sponsored by numerous Angkorian kings over the centuries. A well-developed sculptural tradition based around this sect consequently arose and Shiva was depicted in many forms varying from the aniconic linga to large scale images in the round. Five-headed images of Shiva such as this example were executed in both stone and bronze and represent one of the more unique depictions of the deity.Literature comparison:Compare a bronze figure of Sadashiva in Angkor et dix siecles d'art Khmer, Exhibition Catalogue, Paris: Reunion des Musees Nationaux, 1997, pl.111. Compare a closely related Khmer Bayon-style bronze of Shiva as Sadashiva or Mahesha, 28 cm high, dated to the late 12th-early 13th century, in the Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore, accession number 2015-00374. Also compare a closely related Khmer period bronze of Standing Shiva, dated to the 12th century, in the collection of Miho Museum, Japan. Also compare a closely related Khmer bronze of Sadashiva, dated to circa 12th-13th century, in the Champasak Provincial Museum, Pakse, Laos. Also compare with another Sadashiva idol on display at Bangkok National Museum. Also compare with another figure bronze figure of Shiva with five arms and heads, 35 cm high, in the Musee National de Phnom Penh.Auction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Bonhams London, 8 June 2004, lot 437Estimate: GBP 18,000 or approx. EUR 42,500 adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A large and important bronze figure of a five headed ten-armed deity, probably Sadasiva, Khmer, Angkor Period, Angkor Wat style, 12th CenturyExpert remark: Note the smaller size (32 cm).Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Christie's Amsterdam, 10 December 2002, lot 114Price: EUR 33,460 or approx. EUR 52,500 adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A Khmer, Angkor Vat style, bronze figure of PrajnaparamitaExpert remark: Note the larger size (46 cm).

A BRONZE FIGURE OF VISHNU STANDING ON GARUDA, ANGKOR PERIODKhmer Empire, 11th-12th century. The four-armed deity standing on Garuda's shoulders and holding a disk and conch in his uppermost hands, and a club and seed in his lower hands, wearing a sampot and richly adorned in jewelry. The mythical bird standing on a square base with arms and wings outstretched as if flying through the air. Both with benign expressions.Provenance: From the private collection of Darwin Freeman, collected between the 1968-1971, and thence by descent within the same family. Born 1946 in Idaho, USA, Darwin Freeman was a member of the armed forces and later became an avid collector. He met his wife in the mid-1960s, and the pair later relocated to her hometown of Innsbruck, Austria. In 1967, Freeman was drafted into the U.S. Army and served in Germany and Thailand. While he was stationed at the Embassy in Bangkok, between 1969 and 1971, he actively began engaging in the exploration and collection of ancient bronzes and other works of art. Upon completing his duty, Freeman arranged for his collection to be shipped to Austria, where it remained in storage until this day.Condition: Very good condition commensurate with age, showing old wear, weathering and corrosion, minuscule nicks here and there, minor losses, and a fine natural patina with malachite-green encrustations.Weight: 896.2 gDimensions: Height 25.5 cm This bronze may have served as an official insignia when the cult of Vishnu was raised to higher prominence under Suryavarman II, upon ascending to the throne in 1113.In Hinduism, Vishnu is the preserver and maintainer of the established order. Whereas Shiva is Lord of the Beginning and of the End, Vishnu is the deity who oversees the middle ground, avoids extremes, and maintains orthodoxy. The standard depiction of Vishnu is four-armed, standing upright and wearing a crown. He carries a conch shell, a lotus, a club, and a discus. His vehicle is the bird Garuda depicted here in the usual form as part human, part bird.Literature comparison: Compare a Khmer bronze figure of Vishnu standing on Garuda, dated to the Khmer period, late 11-early 12th century, in the Brooklyn Museum, accession number 85.220.4. Also compare a Khmer bronze figure of Vishnu standing on Garuda, dated to 12-13th century, in the Minneapolis Institute of Art, accession number 99.216.7.Auction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Christie's New York, 23 March 1999, lot 225Price: USD 6,900 or approx. EUR 11,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A bronze figure of Vishnu on his vehicle Garuda, Khmer, Baphuon style, 11th centuryExpert remark: Note the much smaller size (16.2 cm).

A LARGE GRAY SCHIST FIGURE OF MAITREYA, KUSHAN PERIOD, ANCIENT REGION OF GANDHARA, CIRCA 3RD CENTURYSuperbly carved, seated in dhyanasana with his hands held in dharmachakra mudra, dressed in a voluminous sanghati with exquisitely carved folds, elegantly pooling in concentric rings at his ankles and spilling over the edge of the base, bedecked with various necklaces including a large choker with inset design and talismanic armlets. His serene face with heavy-lidded almond-shaped eyes below gently arched brows centered by a raised urna, secured by an elaborate headdress comprising a network of beads interlinked between horizontal bands that rest above the forehead and wrap around the ushnisha.Provenance: From an old Belgian private collection. Acquired before 1970 and thence by descent in the family. Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, obvious losses, nicks, scratches, signs of weathering and erosion. A few structural cracks with associated losses, some of which show old restoration.Weight: 148 kg Dimensions: Height 109.5 cm (incl. stand) and 105.5 cm (excl. stand) Maitreya is backed by a halo and his throne is carved with a frieze depicting two devotees on either side of a fire altar flanked by zoomorphic columns.With consummate skill, the sculptor has achieved a majestic enthroned Maitreya. The marvelous naturalism conveyed throughout the torso and robe, as the latter slackens and contorts around the powerful figure, is a testament to the virtuoso who carved it. With a broad muscular torso, strong hands, and ornate stylized folds, this large sculpture exhibits the power and authority of Maitreya, believed to reside in Tushita heaven until the time comes when Shakyamuni is no longer remembered and the future Buddha will need to be reborn.As Mahayana Buddhism spread from Gandhara to China, images of Maitreya became the focal point of a widespread cult, the idea of a messianic savior appealing to many living under the chaotic political climate and civil unrest of the Six Dynasties period that followed the collapse of the Western Han Dynasty in the beginning of the 3rd century - the time around which this sculpture was made. The link between the art of Gandhara and early Buddha images in China is demonstrated through a direct comparison of the facial features and robes between the present lot and a gilt bronze Buddha held in the Harvard Art Museums, object number 1943.53.80.A, which is among the earliest devotional Buddhist images made in China.Literature comparison:Compare a related gray schist figure of Maitreya, dated to the 2nd century, in the Victoria & Albert Museum, accession number IM.303-1920. Compare a related schist figure of Maitreya, 32 cm high, dated 2nd-4th century, in the Victoria & Albert Museum, accession number IM.4-1911. Compare two sculptures of youthful bodhisattvas also displaying the teaching mudra, see I. Kurita, Gandharan Art, vol. II, Tokyo & New York, Tokyo, 2003, pp. 53 & 57, nos. 128 and 141.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's New York, 21 March 2012, lot 724 Price: USD 146,500 or approx. EUR 177,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A gray schist figure of Maitreya, Gandhara, 2nd/3rd century Expert remark: Compare the closely related subject, manner of carving, and modeling with similar pose and hand gesture, robes and jewelry, expression and hairstyle, nimbus, and throne with a similarly carved frieze also depicting devotees around a fire altar. Note the size (74.3 cm).Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Bonhams New York, 18 September 2013, lot 60 Price: USD 80,500 or approx. EUR 96,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A schist figure of Maitreya, ancient region of Gandhara, circa 3rd century Expert remark: Compare the closely related subject, manner of carving, and modeling with similar pose, hairstyle, robes, jewelry, and nimbus. Note the different hand gesture and the mustache, as well as the related size (106.6 cm). 約西元三世紀犍陀羅貴霜帝國大型灰色片岩彌勒佛像 由于平台拍品叙述的长度限制，我们移除了中文叙述，完整中文叙述请至www.zacke.at查看

A SILVER-INLAID BRONZE FIGURE OF BUDDHA VAIROCANA, SWAT-VALLEY, 7TH-8TH CENTURYScientific Analysis Report: A thermoluminescence analysis report issued by Oxford Authentication on 1 September 2020, based on sample number N120d91, confirms the object is “consistent with the suggested period of manufacture." A copy of the report, issued by Oxford Authentication, accompanies this lot.Depicted in the sambhogakaya form, Vairocana holds his hands in the bodhyagrimudra while sitting atop a pedestal supported by two anthropomorphic Buddhist lions. The lions have humanized faces, silver-inlaid eyes, snail-curled hair, and are standing atop a lotus base. The Vairocana wears an ornate crown, tied on both sides with ribbons which drape down around his arms and hang from the pedestal. His face is serene, set with almond-shaped eyes with silver inlays to the pupils and central urna. The back with a tang for attachment to a temple structure.Provenance: From the private collection of Michael Phillips. Michael Phillips (born 1943) is an Academy Award-winning film producer. Born in Brooklyn, New York, his parents were Lawrence and Shirley Phillips, noted New York dealers in Asian fine art, selling to the Met, the LACMA, the Chicago Art Institute, and the British Museum among others. Michael Phillips is a collector of Asian art himself, particularly Indian, Southeast Asian, and Himalayan sculpture. His most important films include The Sting (winning the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1973), Taxi Driver (winning the Palme d'Or at the 1976 Cannes Film Festival), and Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Condition: Very good condition, commensurate with age. Expected signs of wear, corrosion and weathering with only small remnants of gilt remaining. The naturally grown patina has distinct malachite and cuprite encrustations and was at some point coated with a layer of varnish or wax for conservation purposes. Some losses, dents and scattered nicks.Weight: 3,090 g Dimensions: Height 26.3 cm The Swat Valley is located along the upper stream of the Indus in the heartland of the Gandhara region. It was a melting pot of various people and arts and served as a link between India and Central Asia and further eastwards for a constant flow of Buddhist pilgrims. The earlier Gandhara style is still echoed in the art of many icons of the Swat Valley, as visible in the present example. The Buddha's parallel folds as well as the protuberance on top of his head can be traced back to Gandhara Buddha figures. However, the V-shaped pleats around his neck are associated with Kashmiri prototypes, as is the use of silver inlay. His face reflects a Gupta idiom, with its small mouth and incised eyebrows. The lotus base on which he sits is typical for Swat Valley images. Thus, this fine bronze Buddha figure perfectly embodies the aforementioned melting pot of various styles.The iconography of the crowned Buddha Vairocana has been a subject of dispute amongst scholars due to the lack of clear lines of interpretation within the imagery. Many conclude the crown is intended to denote Sakyamuni as a cakravartin or universal Buddha while some suggest it represents a sambhogakaya Buddha in Mahayana Buddhism. In her 2018 article Images of the Crowned Buddha along the Silk Road, Rebecca Twist examines the iconography of Silk Road crowned Buddhas and concludes the recurring evidence points to the crowned Buddha as sambhogakaya as an early esoteric meditational construct. Many of the Buddha Vairocana that Twist examines are closely related to the present lot. According to Twist, these similar figures which appear from various locations along the Silk Road “demonstrate a systematic form of transmission and religious syncretism in both iconography and ideology." The present lot is a part of the clear pattern of deliberate core iconographic elements which recur in crowned Buddha Vairocana figures along the Silk Road. These elements included the sambhogakaya form, the embodiment of dharmakaya, the bodhyagrimudra, and the similarly styled crown.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Bonhams New York, 16 March 2021, lot 306 Price: USD 50,312 or approx. EUR 52,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A silver inlaid copper alloy figure of a Bodhisattva, Swat Valley, circa 8th century Expert remark: Note the similar patina, the roves with a single narrow sash across the chest, the silver inlaid eyes and urna, and the closely related crown. Note the much smaller size (13 cm).Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Bonhams New York, 19 March 2018, lot 3009 Estimate: USD 450,000 or approx. EUR 495,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A silver inlaid copper alloy figure of Vairocana, Swat Valley, 8th/9th century Expert remark: Note the closely related pose, the similar crown and garments, the Buddhist lions which support the Vairocana atop the lotus pedestal, and the single ring molded to the back of the figure for mounting. Note the size (17.8 cm).13% VAT will be added to the hammer price additional to the buyer's premium - only for buyers within the EU. 七至八世紀斯瓦特谷銅錯銀毘盧遮那佛毘盧佛施智拳印，全跏趺坐。半圓形台座正面有毘盧佛的坐騎--兩頭獅子（立姿）。毘盧佛頭戴華麗王冠，兩側飾有絲帶，從他的手臂上垂下，並懸掛在底座上。面容安詳，瞳孔鑲銀，雙眉之間有白毫。背面有支腳，用於固定到寺廟結構上。 科學檢測報告：牛津認證公司於 2020 年 9 月 1 日出具了一份基於樣品編號 N120d91 的熱釋光分析報告確認該造像“與建議的製作日期一致"。該拍品隨附一份報告副本。由于平台拍品叙述的长度限制，我们移除了中文叙述，完整中文叙述请至www.zacke.at查看

A BRONZE BHUTA CULT MASK OF NANDI, SOUTH INDIA, LATE 18TH TO EARLY 19TH CENTURYHeavily cast, the ritual mask in the form of a bull's head with two long curved horns, each decorated with raised rings and incised with lotus petals at their bases. The face of the bull with a beaded halter, two large almond-shaped eyes with round pupils and neatly incised lashes, pierced nostrils, and two separately cast funnel-shaped ears, the mouth open revealing large incised teeth. The back with a circular attachment loop.Provenance: English trade. Condition: Very good condition with expected old wear and casting flaws. Light scratches, minor nicks, and small dents.Weight: 4,742 g Dimensions: Length 45.4 cm This cult mask has a totemistic connection to a culture of farming where plows are pulled by bulls and where cow milk is one of the main sources of proteins. The link with Hinduism is also easily established through Nandi, the mount of Shiva. Nandi, “the one who brings happiness" in Sanskrit, incarnates the interior strength brought by the control of violence. Its four legs represent truth, purity, compassion, and generosity. The act of touching its tail is meant to relieve people from any kind of impurity.The bhuta (spirit) is invoked in a highly stylized version of the ritual dance (bhuta kola) of the spirit impersonator during a theatrical production in which a world of supernatural beings is created by dancers adorned in colorful costumes including masks, such as the present lot, depicting various divine beings. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Galerie Zacke, Vienna, 25 April 2020, lot 448 Price: EUR 7,584 or approx. EUR 9,200 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A Bhuta cult mask of a bull, late 18th - early 19th century Expert remark: Compare the related form. Note the size (51 cm).

A BRONZE PECTORAL PLAQUE DEPICTING HANUMAN, BAJRANG BALI, 18TH CENTURYWestern India, Maharashtra or Karnataka. Finely cast, the circular plaque depicts a striding Hanuman, who carries in his left hand the healing plant (sanjivani buti), walking above an armed figure lying prone. The leafy plant hangs down to his knees, twisting back behind his body. The outer frame serves as a circular mandala with a band of stylized flames (prabhavala) and rosettes, enclosed by a rope-like border formed by the tails of two peacocks at the top, centered by a seven-headed hooded cobra hovering over a figure of Krishna dancing atop Hanuman's head. The mandorla further with sun and moon symbols. The back is cast with a vertical loop for mounting.Provenance: From a private collection in London, United Kingdom. The stand with an old label, 'India. Hanuman. In wheel of rosettes and seeds with peacock terminals. Nagas and Krishna.' Condition: Very good condition with minor old wear and expected casting flaws, small nicks, light scratches, minor dents.Weight: 751 g (excl. stand) and 1,084 g (incl. stand) Dimensions: Height 22.9 cm (excl. stand) and 26.3 cm (incl. stand) With a fitted modern stand. (2)The scene depicted on this plaque recalls an episode in the Indian Ramayana epic when Hanuman flew through the air to bring a healing, medicinal herb (sanjivani buti) to the wounded Rama and his army. The small figure below Hanuman's feet could be Lakshmana, the brother of Rama, who was wounded during the battle. As a divine being, Hanuman has the power to augment or diminish his size at will, and so he grows to such a stature that he can span the ocean with a single stride. This unique ability, according to myth, enabled the god to rescue Rama.Expert's note: Known as a bajrang bali (strong monkey), this distinctive type of pectoral plaque depicts Hanuman, The Divine Monkey. It is worn suspended around the neck by Vaishnava ascetics devoted to Hanuman, in the regions of Karnataka and Maharashtra.Literature comparison:Compare a closely related bronze circular plaque depicting Hanuman mid stride, 21 cm high, dated 18th-19th century, in the British Museum, registration number 1853,0108.8. Compare a closely related plaque depicting Hanuman mid stride, 23 cm high, dated to the 16th century, in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, accession number M.87.160.1. Compare a related bronze circular plaque depicting Hanuman, 6.75 cm high, dated 17th-18th century, in the British Museum, registration number 1940,0716.323.

A PARCEL-GILT BRONZE FIGURE OF BUDDHA, KANDYAN PERIOD, SRI LANKA, 18TH CENTURYThe broad shouldered figure standing in sampada on a stepped circular plinth with his right hand incised with auspicious emblems and raised in vitarka mudra, wearing an elaborately pleated sanghati with deeply incised undulating folds and a sash draped over his left shoulder. His rounded face expressively cast with crisply delineated features, the eyes lidded and downcast, the aquiline nose and pursed lips flanked by long pendulous pierced lobes, surmounted by a five-fold siraspata. Provenance: From an Austrian private collection.Condition: Very good condition with expected old wear and casting irregularities, small nicks and scratches, minor losses, and some abrasions to the gilt. The figure with smooth patina overall and remnants of ancient pigment.Weight: 1,750 gDimensions: Height 31.8 cm After a period of decline lasting a few centuries, Buddhism was revived throughout the Kandyan kingdom in the second half of the eighteenth century under the King Kirti Sri Rajasinha (r. 1747-1782), who encouraged Buddhist monks from Burma and Thailand to emigrate to Sri Lanka, and heavily patronized the Buddhist institutions within his kingdoms. This sculpture is solid cast, as is characteristic in Sri Lanka beginning with the late Anuradhapura period, and as dictated by the Sariputra, is canon of proportions to be followed for making Buddha images. The consistency of style is further guaranteed by the employment of matrices of body parts for the wax models in preparing the casts. However, while Kandyan sculpture is consistent in its broad shouldered outline, there is considerable variation in the rendering of the robe, with various degrees of undulation in the wave patterns of the folds, as well as the hemline of the sanghati draped across the left shoulder. Instead of an ushnisha, the more familiar cranial flaming protuberance is characteristic of Sri Lankan images of the Buddha.The folds of the robe are draped asymmetrically across his body, emulating the Anuradhapura style and indicating the soft, delicate cotton garment worn in a tropical climate. The gentle drapes of cloth suggest the sheer texture of the fabric beneath the right chest. In the 18th century Kandy, the continuous pleats of the earlier visual culture evolved into a symphony of rippling intensity that enlivens the otherwise static Buddha figure. His right hand raised in the gesture of teaching bears an etched lotus, which is an element unique to the Kandyan period.Literature comparison:Compare to a closely related gilt example, in J. Baker, Guardian of the Flame, 2003, p. 146, ill. on left. Also compare related image of Buddha in U. Von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures of Sri Lanka, 1990, pl. 165-67.Auction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Bonhams Hong Kong, 29 March 2018, lot 32Estimate: HKD 200,000 or approx. EUR 25,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A gilt copper alloy figure of Buddha, Sri Lanka, Kandyan period, 18th centuryExpert remark: Compare the closely related form. Note the larger size (48.5 cm).Auction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Bonhams Hong Kong, 29 March 2019, lot 42Estimate: HKD 200,000 or approx. EUR 50,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A gilt copper alloy figure of standing Buddha, Sri Lanka, Kandyan period, 18th centuryExpert remark: Compare the closely related form. Note the similar size (30.5 cm).Auction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Bonhams Hong Kong, 30 November 2022, lot 1046Price: HKD 153,000 or approx. EUR 18,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A gilt copper alloy figure of standing Buddha, Sri Lanka, Kandyan period, 18th centuryExpert remark: Compare the closely related form. Note the similar size (29.2 cm).

A CLOISONNE ENAMEL 'TAOTIE' VASE, FANGHU, LATE MING DYNASTYChina, 16th-17th century. The gilt-bronze vessel of square section, the pear-shaped body supported on a spreading foot and rising to a waisted neck. The rounded shoulder set with a pair of cloisonne taotie ring-handles. Brightly and lavishly enameled around the exterior with wide turquoise-ground bands enclosing taotie masks, mythical birds, plantain leaves, as well as flowerheads and clouds, all divided by blue-ground floral bands, the foot similarly decorated with lotus blossoms borne on leafy scrolling vines.Provenance: From a Swedish private collection.Condition: Fine condition, commensurate with age, with expected old wear and manufacturing flaws, such as pitting and crackling to enamels. Small dents and losses with associated old fills, minor nicks, light scratches. Slightly leaning. Displaying remarkably well.Weight: 1,964 g Dimensions: Height 29.2 cm Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Bonhams London, 7 June 2021, lot 595 Price: GBP 31,500 or approx. EUR 47,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A rare cloisonne enamel and gilt-bronze vase, fanghu, 17th century Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and taotie mask motif. Note the larger size (39 cm). 明末掐絲琺瑯饕餮紋方壺中國，十六至十七世紀。方瓶侈口束頸，鼓腹高足，瓶身四面施天藍色琺瑯釉，頸部芭蕉葉紋，神鳥紋，中間為掐絲饕餮紋樣，其下卷葉紋，大氣非凡。銅舖首銜環耳，鑄工精細。其下高足外撇，纏枝蓮紋。本器造型端莊，色澤純厚，五彩斑斕。 來源：瑞典私人收藏。 品相：狀況良好，有磨損和製造缺陷，例如琺瑯的點蝕和裂紋，小凹痕、缺損和相應的舊修補、小刻痕、輕微劃痕，微微傾斜。 重量：1,964 克 尺寸：高29.2 厘米拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：倫敦邦翰斯，2021年6月7日，lot 595 價格：GBP 31,500（相當於今日EUR 47,000） 描述：十七世紀銅胎掐絲琺瑯饕餮紋鋪首耳方壺 專家評論：比較非常相近的外形和饕餮主題。請注意尺寸較大 (39 厘米)。

A LARGE GRAY AND BLACK JADE FIGURE OF A WATER BUFFALO, LATE MING TO EARLY QING DYNASTYExpert's note: The present jade buffalo is one of the most 'lifelike' portrayals of this small group, the unusual coloring of the stone in different tones of buff and grey being reminiscent of the actual animals' skin. The rather eccentric choice of material, distinctly colored and veined, might best fit a late Ming date, while the masculine strength, elegance, and simplicity of the sculpting are in tune with stylistic principles of the Kangxi reign.China, 17th to early 18th century. Powerfully carved in a recumbent pose, the right foreleg bent with the knee raised, the other legs tucked underneath the stout muscular body, the neatly incised tail flung to the left, the head turned in a position emphasizing the beast's humped back. Its strong appearance contrasting with the calm, docile expression of its proud face, marked by almond-shaped eyes with incised pupils, and further detailed with an impressive pair of horns curving exactly parallel to the funnel-shaped ears. The smoothly polished, opaque stone is of a fine gray tone with black and russet shadings and veins, smokey and cloudy inclusions, the face and horns with partly calcified areas of 'chicken bone'. Excellent polish, resulting in an unctuous surface feel overall.Provenance: Rare Art, Inc., New York, USA, 1973. A private collection in the United States, acquired from the above and thence by descent. A copy of the original invoice from Rare Art, dated 30 May 1973, stating a purchase price for the present lot of USD 6,400 or approx. EUR 40,500 (converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing), accompanies this lot. The base with an old label from Rare Art stating the original listing price for the present lot of USD 8,000 or approx. EUR 50,500 (converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). Condition: Very good condition with expected ancient wear, few small nicks here and there, the stone with natural inclusions and fissures, some of which have developed into small hairline cracks.Weight: 4,747 g Dimensions: Length 23.5 cm Jade buffalo, like this superbly carved example, have traditionally been greatly prized in China, where the animal is associated with strength, prosperity and tranquility. The ox or buffalo is one of the twelve horary animals representing one of the twelve branches of the Chinese calendrical system. Buffalo are also associated with farming and the production of food. The poetic view of the buffalo resonated with Chan Buddhists and Daoists alike, suggesting retreat into a tranquil rural life away from the cities and the responsibilities of public office.The popularity of these creatures has an ancient source, since the legendary Emperor Yu of the Xia dynasty (c. 2100-1600 BC) is said to have cast an iron ox or buffalo to subdue the floods. This theme was taken up by the Qianlong Emperor (1736-95), when in 1755 he had a large bronze ox cast and placed looking out over Kunming Lake at the Summer Palace. On the animal's back was cast an 80-character essay in seal script referring to Yu's casting of the iron buffalo to control the floods. The mythological and practical auspiciousness of buffalo ensured that they were included among animal figures from early times, and by the period of the late Ming into the early Qing dynasty, a group of large finely carved jade figures was being produced. These buffalo were clearly treasured by the Imperial family since several of the extant examples are known to have come from the Summer Palace in 1860.Literature comparison:Compare a related gray and black jade buffalo from the Somerset de Chair and Mrs. Parsons collections, at Sotheby's London, 18 July 1952, lot 50, and again, 9 June 2004, lot 151. Compare a related gray and black jade buffalo from the collection of Lord Gladwyn, illustrated by Jessica Rawson, Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing, British Museum, London, 1995, pl. 26:19, where the author notes that the buffalo is “said to have come from the Summer Palace, Beijing during the China War of 1860." The provenance for the British Museum buffalo is further detailed in the footnote to lot 11 in Sotheby's London, 15 December 1987, noting that the British Museum jade buffalo was ... looted from the Summer Palace, Peking in 1860 and rescued on the troop ship from a soldier who was attempting to break it up for easier concealment on coming ashore...'.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 7 April 2010, lot 1909 Price: HKD 7,820,000 or approx. EUR 1,302,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A rare large black and gray jade water buffalo, early Qing dynasty Expert remark: Compare the related modeling with similar pose, features, and expression, manner of carving, and color of the jade with similar shadings of gray and black (albeit lacking the areas of chicken-bone). Note the tuft of hair on the buffalo's forehead. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's London, 8 November 2016, lot 6 Price: GBP 60,000 or approx. EUR 99,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A mottled gray jade buffalo, 17th-18th century Expert remark: Compare the related modeling, manner of carving, and color of the jade. Note the smaller size (14 cm). 明末清初大型灰黑色玉水牛中國, 十七至十八世紀初。由于平台拍品叙述的长度限制，我们移除了中文叙述，完整中文叙述请至www.zacke.at查看

A CLOISONNE ENAMEL 'FLORAL' DISH, CHINA, 17TH-18th CENTURY OR EALRIERRemarkably heavy cast in copper alloy, the shallow sides supported on a short straight foot rim with a thick and solid gilt-bronze rim and foot. Finely decorated in colorful enamels, the interior with a central flower head against a wan-diapered white ground with purple hues, encircled by evenly spaced stylized floral sprays against a bright turquoise ground repeated on the exterior.Provenance: From a French private collection.Condition: Very good condition with some old wear and expected manufacturing irregularities throughout, including minimal pitting, as well as few losses to enamel. Some occasional tiny nicks to the edges. All consistent with age and the usage of the piece.Weight: 128.8 gDimensions: Diameter 9 cm Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Sotheby's Paris, 9 December 2021, lot 134 Price: EUR 1,260 or approx. EUR 1,500 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A small cloisonne floral dish, late Ming dynasty, 17th century Expert remark: Compare the related form and floral decoration. Note the absence of wan diaper as found on the present lot. Note the slightly larger size (12 cm). 十七至十八世紀掐絲琺瑯花紋小碟銅胎胎體重，淺圈足。盤內琺瑯色彩精美，盤中開光白色地，T字形紋，中央一朵花，內壁外壁分別飾卷葉花紋。 來源：法國私人收藏。品相：狀況極好，有一些磨損和製造缺陷，如小點蝕，輕微琺瑯缺失，邊緣局部有一些小刻痕。重量：128.8 克 尺寸：直徑9 釐米 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：巴黎蘇富比，2021年12月9日，lot 134 價格：EUR 1,260（相當於今日EUR 1,500） 描述：明十七世紀掐絲琺瑯花卉紋小盤 專家評論：比較相近的外形和花紋裝飾。請注意此碟沒有T字形紋，尺寸較大 (12 釐米)。

A GILT-BRONZE CLOISONNE ENAMEL DISH, CHINA, 18TH CENTURYThe shallow lobed sides rising from a recessed foot to an everted and barbed rim. The interior and base are finely gilt. The rim is neatly decorated in crisp enamels with lotus blossoms borne on scrolling vines, the exterior sides with stylized lotus sprays, all against a bright turquoise ground. Note the overall elegant yet strictly functional design, typical for the period.Provenance: From a private collection in Paris, France. Condition: Very good condition with old wear, mostly to gilt inside the well as a result of long-time usage, and expected manufacturing irregularities, including pitting to the enamel. The rim with small losses to enamels, minute dents, and light wear to gilt.Weight: 686 gDimensions: Diameter 19.8 cm Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie's New York, 24 March 2023, lot 1233 Price: USD 9,450 or approx. EUR 8,800 converted at the time of writing Description: A cloisonne enamel dish, 18th century Expert remark: Compare the closely related gilt interior and base. Note the similar size (18.3 cm).Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's New York, 23 March 2018, lot 1031 Price: USD 10,625 or approx. EUR 12,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A cloisonne enamel bracket-lobed dish, 18th century Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and size (20 cm). Note the shou-character medallion. 十八世紀鎏金掐絲琺瑯菱花口盤菱花口盤，折沿，弧腹，花口足。盤內和足底內鎏金。折沿處掐絲琺瑯松石綠地繪製卷草紋，外壁開光纏枝蓮紋。請注意整體優雅而嚴密的設計，是該時期的典型特徵。 來源：法國巴黎私人收藏。 品相：狀況極好，有磨損，由於長期使用而在盤內鎏金，有製造不規則，包括琺瑯上的點蝕。邊緣有輕微的琺瑯缺損、微小的凹痕和輕微鎏金磨損。 重量：686 克 尺寸：19.8 釐米 拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：紐約佳士得，2023年3月24日，lot 1233 價格：USD 9,450（相當於今日EUR 8,800） 描述：清十八世紀掐絲琺瑯開光蓮紋盤 專家評論：比較非常相近鍍金內部和底座。請注意相似的尺寸(18.3 釐米)。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：紐約佳士得，2018年3月23日，lot 1031 價格：USD 10,625（相當於今日EUR 12,000） 描述：清十八世紀掐絲琺瑯八吉祥紋菱口盤 專家評論：比較非常相近的外形和尺寸(20 釐米)。請注意盤中以壽字裝飾。

A PAIR OF GILT-BRONZE AND CLOISONNE ENAMEL LUDUAN, CHINA, 18TH - 19TH CENTURYWell modeled in mirror image, each seated on its haunches with the head raised and mouth slightly agape revealing a set of sharp fangs. The gilt face set with a broad ruyi-shaped snout, a pair of bulging eyes below a thick, neatly incised brow flanked by two floppy ears, the head surmounted by a ribbed and curved horn. Their bodies are finely decorated in bright enamels with dragon and phoenix designs as well as floral diaper, and their fur is well detailed with gilt wire, the spines with scroll terminating in flaming tails. The claws and pads of their paws are gilt. (2)Provenance: From a private collection of Chinese art and jade carvings in London, United Kingdom, built between the 1970s and 1990s, and thence by descent.Condition: Flaking and minute losses to enamels with associated minor old fills and touchups, otherwise in good condition with expected wear and manufacturing irregularities, small dents, and light scratches.Weight: 553.2 g and 563 gDimensions: Height 15 cm (each) Luduan are legendary beasts believed to be capable of detecting the truth, traveling great distances in short amounts of time (9,000 km/day), and mastering different languages. Often mistaken for Qilin, which have hooved feet, luduan tend to have rounder bodies and clawed paws. Known as the guardian of enlightened rulers, it was said that this mythical animal was originally named 'jiaoduan', but Emperor Qin Shihuang decided to use 'luduan' because the Chinese character 'lu' matched the image of the unicorn better. During the Ming and Qing eras, incense burners, seals and statues by doorways were usually shaped as Luduan because of its auspicious associations.Auction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Christie's Paris, 16 December 2022, lot 48Price: EUR 25,200 or approx. EUR 26,500 adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A pair of cloisonne enamel luduan censers, China, Qing dynasty, 18th-19th centuryExpert remark: Compare the closely related subject and related modeling with similar poses and heads with open mouths. Note that this lot comprises a pair of censers, while the present lot are figures. Note the size (19.5 cm).Auction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Bonhams London, 12 May 2016, lot 212Price: GBP 5,000 or approx. EUR 8,300 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A pair of cloisonne enamel mythical beasts, luduan, 18th/19th centuryExpert remark: Compare the closely related subject and related modeling with similar poses and heads with open mouths. Note the size (20 cm). 十八至十九世紀一對銅鎏金掐絲琺瑯甪端造型精美，甪端呈半坐狀坐於後腿之上，抬頭，嘴巴微張，露出鋒利的獠牙。鎏金的臉上有一個寬闊的如意形鼻子，濃密而整齊的眉毛下有一雙大眼，兩側各有一隻下垂的耳朵，頭上有一個有棱紋的角。它們的身體上以琺瑯飾有精美的龍鳳圖案的，以及纏枝花卉紋，他們的皮毛上有銅線細節，火焰狀尾巴。爪子鎏金。(2) 來源：來自英國倫敦中國藝術品和玉雕私人收藏，建於二十世紀七十年代至九十年代，傳承自今。 品相：琺瑯剝落和微小損失，伴有輕微的小修，有磨損和製造不規則、小凹痕和輕微劃痕。 重量：分別爲553.2克與563 克 尺寸：各高 15 厘米 拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：巴黎佳士得，2022年12月16日，lot 48 價格：EUR 25,200（相當於今日EUR 26,500） 描述：清十八/十九世紀掐絲琺琅甪端香爐 一對 專家評論：比較非常相近的主題，以及相近的張口姿勢。請注意此為一對爐，以及尺寸 (19.5 釐米)。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：倫敦邦瀚斯，2016年5月12日，lot 212 價格：GBP 5,000（相當於今日EUR 8,300） 描述：十八/十九世紀銅胎掐絲琺瑯甪端 一對 專家評論：比較非常相近的主題，以及相近的張口姿勢。請注意尺寸 (20 釐米)。

A JADE-INLAID PEWTER 'DEER WITH LINGZHI' ARCHAISTIC VESSEL AND COVER, FU, QING DYNASTYChina, Shantou, 19th century. Finely cast, the rectangular vessel supported on a spreading foot, the body flaring towards the rim, flanked by two dragon-form handles inlaid with jade. The cover is cast in relief with a recumbent deer neatly incised with spots and tufts of hair, the ungulate with a coral lingzhi in its mouth, the eyes inlaid with jadeite.The cover further incised with a bed of grass with rockwork and a floral spray. The vessel with a band of key-fret below the rim and incised with archaic inscriptions to each side and the top of the rim. The separately cast liner, vessel, and cover, each impressed with a shop mark.Inscriptions: The shop marks on the interior of the lid, recessed base of the vessel, and along the base of the detachable section read, 'Chaoyang. Made in Shantou in the old shop of Yan Yuxing. Authentic Diantong [pewter], no bartering'.Provenance: French trade. Condition: Good condition with expected old wear, some casting flaws, soldering marks, surfaces scratches, nicks, and small losses.One antler with a small repair. Weight: 2,570 g Dimensions: Width 27.3 cm The present vessel is modeled after the archaic bronze fu, which was a ritual vessel used to contain food during the Zhou dynasty. The Qianlong Emperor was known to be a zealous collector of archaic bronze vessels and commissioned the publication of the Xiqing gujian (Xiqing mirror of antiquities), an illustrated catalog of his bronze collection. This publication, compiled in 1749, provided models for many of the works of art produced in various materials for the Imperial Court during this period. Vessels of this type were displayed in pairs on the right side of offering tables at the Temple to Imperial Ancestors. They contained cereal offerings of millet, rice or sorghum.Literature comparison:Compare a related bronze archaistic vessel, fu, dated to the Song/Ming dynasty, at Bonhams New York, 15 March 2021, lot 4. Compare a related imperial gilt-lacquered and jade-inlaid archaistic vessel and cover, fu, dated to the Qianlong period, at Galerie Zacke, Vienna, 10 March 2023, lot 284. Compare a related lime-green porcelain archaistic vessel, fu, dated to the Guangxu period, at Sotheby's London, 15 May 2007, lot 569. Compare a related cloisonne enamel archaistic vessel, dated to the Qianlong period, at Christie's Hong Kong, 28 November 2012, lot 2220. Compare a related zitan wood archaistic vessel, fu, dated 19th century, at Bonhams New York, 30 October 2017, lot 85. 清代錫合金鑲玉《鹿啣靈芝》蓋簠中國，汕頭，十九世紀。鑄工精良，此器呈長方形，口外侈，腹下收，下有四矩形短足。上有蓋，蓋與器形狀相同，合成一體。兩側有鑲玉龍形提手。 蓋面浮雕一頭臥鹿，可見斑點和簇毛，口含珊瑚雕靈芝，眼睛鑲嵌翡翠。蓋子上還刻有假山和花卉卷草。下方邊緣有一條雷紋帶，邊緣兩側和頂部均刻有銘文。 單獨鑄造的內膽、容器和蓋子。 款識：是器飾以蟠螭，周启重雷耳作螭首是周器也；潮陽，店住汕頭，顏裕興老店，真料點銅；真不二價 來源：法國古玩交易。 來源：狀況良好，有磨損、一些鑄造缺陷、焊接痕跡、表面劃痕、刻痕和小缺損。一枝鹿角有小修補。 重量：2,570 克 尺寸：寬 27.3 厘米文獻比較： 比較一件相近的宋/明銅簠，見紐約邦翰斯，2021年3月15日，lot 4。比較一件相近的乾隆時期御製鑲玉金漆簠，見維也納Galerie Zacke，2023年3月10日，lot 284。比較一件相近的光緒時期檸檬黃仿古簠，見倫敦蘇富比，2007年5月15日，lot 569。比較一件相近的清乾隆掐絲琺瑯獸面紋簠式爐，見香港佳士得，2012年11月28日，lot 2220。比較一件相近的十九世紀紫檀錯銀絲禮器兩件，見紐約邦翰斯，2017年10月30日，lot 85。

AN IMPERIAL JADE, GILT-BRONZE, AND RUBY-INLAID 'LOTUS AND BATS' HAT STAND, QIANLONG PERIODChina, 1736-1795. Of slender form, the round and domed base with a key-fret (leiwen) band along the edge below a design of fruiting peaches, all set beneath a ring of lotus leaf lappets which encircle the stem of the hat stand. The gilt-bronze stem decorated with numerous bats amid swirling clouds in high relief, all between two bands of neatly inlaid ruby-matrix (corundum) cabochon inlays. The translucent white jade with beautiful hues of apple green and lavender as well as russet veins and icy inclusions.Provenance: From an old private collection in Portland, Oregon, USA, and thence by descent in the same family.Condition: Very good condition with expected old wear, two of the cabochon inlays are missing from the stem, few minuscule nicks to the bronze and the jade. The stone with natural inclusions and fissures, some of which may have developed into hairline cracks. The fitting to the underside of the base, that connects the jade with the bronze, is partially lost but stable.Weight: 712 gDimensions: Height 23.9 cm Hat stands were used in the private quarters of the Emperor and members of the Imperial family. At the Qing Court, the type of hat one wore was very important and, when not in use, these signifiers of rank and status were displayed on suitably decorative stands and perfumed at the same time.The bulb of the lotus, with its leaves finely curling towards the center, is hollow. This is where the fragrant materials would have been placed. The lid is superbly carved to resemble the lotus pods and pierced multiple times, so that the odors originating from the fragrant materials may evaporate, thus perfuming the hat resting above with rich aromas.The jade lid is attached to the hat stand by a gilt-bronze chain secured to the inside, so that it cannot be lost.Literature comparison: Compare a carved red lacquer hat stand, 29.8 cm high, dated to the Qianlong period, at Christie's New York, 14 September 2018, lot 1233. Compare a pair of canton enamel yellow-ground hat stands, 32.5 cm tall, dated to the 18th century, at Christie's Hong Kong, 29 May 2013, lot 2166. Compare an imperial yellow-ground famille rose 'nine dragons' hat stand, 27.3 cm tall, dated to the Daoguang period, at Christie's London, 8 November 2016, lot 80. Compare a cloisonne enamel and gilt-bronze hat stand, 28 cm tall, dated to the Qianlong period, at Bonhams London, 13 May 2021, lot 57. Compare an imperial gilt-bronze hat stand, 49 cm tall, dated to the Qianlong period, at Bonhams London, 7 November 2013, lot 67.Auction result comparison: Type: RelatedAuction: Christie's New York, 19 September 2006, lot 98Price: USD 90,000 or approx. EUR 125,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A rare pair of imperial white jade cloisonne enamel and gilt-bronze hat stands, Qianlong periodExpert remark: Note this lot consists of two hat stands. Note the size (31.4 cm).Auction result comparison: Type: RelatedAuction: Christie's London, 10 May 2016, lot 34Price: GBP 31,250 or approx. EUR 52,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A rare inscribed celadon jade and zitan 'nine dragon' hat stand, dated by inscription to the cyclical year of Dingji of the Qianlong period, corresponding to 1737 and of the period Expert remark: Note the size (27 cm). 乾隆御製白玉鎏金鑲寳蓮花帽座中國，1736-1795年。白玉雕刻帽架和底座，中間鎏金銅支柱。帽架成盛開蓮花狀，花瓣與蓮蓬細節逼真，蓮蓬鏤空雕刻，有蓋可打開，裏面可放置熏香，蓋子用鎏金銅鏈繫住；底座緣有一個雷紋帶，淺浮雕芭蕉葉紋和桃子。鎏金銅支柱上浮雕祥雲蝙蝠圖案，兩端鑲嵌紅寶石。半透明的白色翡翠，具有美麗的蘋果綠和淡紫色色調，帶有赤色紋理和白色絮狀物。 來源：美國奧爾良波特蘭私人舊藏，在同一家族保存至今。 品相：狀況極好，有磨損，柄部丟失兩顆鑲嵌物，青銅和玉石上有一些微小的刻痕，具有天然內沁和裂隙的石料，其中一些可能發展成細裂；連接玉石和青銅的底座底部的配件部分丟失，但很穩定。 重量：712 克 尺寸：高 23.9 釐米 在清宮，帽子的類型非常重要，在不使用時，都會放置在帽座上，並且熏香。由于平台拍品叙述的长度限制，我们移除了中文叙述，完整中文叙述请至www.zacke.at查看

AN ARCHAISTIC JADEITE 'MYTHICAL BIRD' GROUP OF TWO VESSELS AND COVERS, LATE QING DYNASTY TO REPUBLIC PERIODChina, 1800-1949. Well carved in the form of an mythical bird standing next to a gui vessel, both on a flat naturalistic base. The bird's head forming the cover of the vessel, the feathers detailed with lappet-shaped incisions, coiled dragons and scrolls to the wings, ruyi-shaped ears, the back and chest with notched flanges. The face with scroll and ruyi designs, and the pierced beak slightly agape. The gui vessel with matching cover and small chilong handles incised with key fret, the rim encircled by a band of stylized dragons. The translucent stone of a pale apple-green tone with icy inclusions.Provenance: London trade. A noted French private collection, acquired from the above. Condition: Very good condition with minor old wear, small nicks and nibbles. The stone with natural inclusions and fissures, some of which may have developed into small hairline cracks. It is rare to find a complete ensemble of four pieces, such as in the present example, with nothing ever having been lost.Weight: 514.6 g (excl. stand), 591.3 g (incl. stand) Dimensions: 14.5 cm (excl. stand), 17 cm (incl. stand) With a fitted wood stand, finely carved in openwork with lingzhi and rockwork, showing a fine naturally grown patina overall. The stand and the jade most likely matching. (4)Expert's note: It is rare to find carvings of this zun form, which originated in Shang dynasty wine vessels, being replicated in jadeite. The shape itself appears to be faithfully copied in the raised flanges and the geometric carved design on the sides of the body. For two examples of this unusual model which appears to be a fusion between an owl and an eagle, both cast in bronze, see R. Bagley, Shang Ritual Bronzes in the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, volume 1, Washington D.C., 1987, page 406, no. 72.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's Hong Kong, 30 November 2020, lot 3077 Price: HKD 500,000 or approx. EUR 61,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A jadeite archaistic bird-form vase and cover Expert remark: Compare the related form and detachable head. Note the incised Qianlong seal mark to the feet. Note the larger size (28 cm) and the lack of a gui vessel and cover as well as a wooden base. 清末民初神鳥翡翠蓋器中國，1800 年至 1949 年。精雕細刻一隻神鳥站在一個簋旁。鳥頭為器蓋，臉上有如意紋與卷葉紋，喙微微張開。翅膀及羽毛細節精美，雙翼盤旋，雙耳如意形，背部和胸部線條剛硬。簋器配有配套的蓋子和小螭龍手柄，邊緣環繞著一條龍紋帶。淺綠色調的半透明翡翠，帶有絮狀物。 來源：倫敦古玩交易；知名法國私人收藏。 品相：狀況非常好，有輕微磨損、小刻痕和磕損。玉石上有天然内沁和裂隙，其中一些可能發展成細小裂紋。很少能找到一個完整的四件作品組合，而且沒有任何缺損。 重量：514.6 克 (不含底座), 591.3 克 (含底座) 尺寸：14.5 厘米(不含底座), 17 厘米(含底座) 木質底座，以靈芝和山石精雕細琢，整體呈現出細膩包漿。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：香港佳士得，2020年11月30日，lot 3077 價格：HKD 500,000（相當於今日EUR 61,500） 描述：翠玉仿古鳥形尊 專家評論：比較相近的外形和可拆卸的頭部。請注意足部有乾隆款。請注意尺寸較大 (28厘米) ，缺少蓋子和木製底座。

A RARE GOLD-MOUNTED JADEITE OPIUM PIPE, CHINA, c. 1900-1930The pipe is constructed from two pieces of apple-green jade, all with a smooth polish. The bowl holder is made of solid gold in the shape of a stylized leaf with engraved and incised foliate decorations. The opaque jade is of a striking apple green tone with scattered cloudy pale inclusions. Provenance: The collection of Ted Adameck, USA, and thence by descent in the same family. Ted Adameck (1924-2019) was a legendary collector of Japanese Netsuke, active for many decades, operating two galleries in Honolulu and writing countless articles and books on the subject as well as many others on Asian art and culture.Condition: Very good condition with expected old wear and minuscule nicks here and there. The bowl lost. Due to the lack of hallmarks on the gold fitting, the exact carat e.g. purity cannot be ascertained. The hollowed half of the jade pipe with traces of use including minor pockmarks due to an extended exposure to heat, and slightly loose.Weight: 381.7 g Dimensions: Length 35.5 cm Expert's note: Jadeite opium pipes of good color with gold mountings are very rare. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Galerie Zacke, Vienna, 5 March 2021, lot 21 Price: EUR 4,550 or approx. EUR 5,500 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A jade and gilt-bronze 'wufu' opium pipe, Qing dynasty Expert remark: Compare the related form. Note that the mounting is gilt-bronze, as opposed to gold on the present lot. 中國罕見包金翡翠鴉片煙槍，約1900-1930年煙槍由兩塊綠翡翠製成，素面拋光。碗架由純金製成，呈卷葉紋，帶有葉狀裝飾。不透明翡翠呈美麗的蘋果綠色，玉石内有淺色絮狀物。 來源：Ted Adameck收藏，自此同一家族世代相傳。Ted Adameck (1924-2019年) 是Netsuke的傳奇收藏家，活躍了幾十年，在檀香山經營兩家古董店，寫了無數有關該主題的文章和書籍，以及許多其他有關亞洲藝術和文化的文章。 品相：狀況非常好，有磨損，大面積微小的劃痕。碗遺失。由於金配件上沒有標記，因此精確的克拉數例如為 1 克拉。 純度無法確定。玉管的一半是空心的，有使用痕跡，包括由於長時間受熱而出現的輕微裂痕，並且略有鬆動。 重量：381.7 克 尺寸：長35.5 厘米 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：Galerie Zacke，維也納，2021年3月5日，lot 21 價格：EUR 4,550（相當於今日EUR 5,500） 描述：清代鎏金玉煙槍 專家評論：比較相近的外形。請注意碗架為鎏金銅

A SPINACH-GREEN JADE GUI-FORM CENSER AND COVER, QIANLONG PERIODChina, 1736-1795. Superbly carved with deep rounded sides raised on a flared foot, flanked by two wide upright S-shaped loop handles, the domed cover surmounted by an intricately carved and pierced finial in the form of a ferocious dragon, above a central aperture to the interior of the cover. Finely carved around the exterior of the bowl and cover with archaistic taotie mask designs interspersed by cross-hatched lozenges, C- and S-scrolls, and an angular scroll, the foot encircled by a band of ruyi heads. The translucent stone is of a deep spinach-green color with dark specks, russet veins, and cloudy inclusions.Provenance: Robin and Fay Marx, Weybridge, Surrey, United Kingdom, acquired before 1954 and thence by descent in the family. Copies of four old insurance valuations from John Sparks Ltd., each confirming the dating above, accompany this lot. The fourth and last valuation is dated 28 January 1965, signed by Peter Vaughan (Director of John Sparks Ltd.), and states a value for the present lot (no. 29) of GBP 2,000 or approx. EUR 60,500 (converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). Robin Marx (1923-1975) was a merchant banker with an erudite passion for Chinese jades. By the early 1950s, he had built an impressive collection with the help and guidance of celebrated London dealer Peter Sparks of John Sparks Ltd. Robin was a distant relative of the influential economist Karl Marx. He bequeathed a significant part of his library to the British Museum, a fellow employee of his was Ian Fleming, and he regularly shared a box at the races with Princess Margaret. For decades after Robin's death, his wife Fay kept his collection on loving display in the family home. A part of the collection was sold by Christie's on 16 December 2022 after Fay's passing in 2021, including two pieces which were also included in the John Sparks insurance valuations: A spinach-green jade brushpot, Qianlong period, initially valued at GBP 250 (no. 8) and sold by Christie's for EUR 56,700, and lot 137, a 'dragon' jar and cover, Jiajing mark and period, initially valued at GBP 375 (no. 37) and sold by Christie's for EUR 94,500, lot 132. Condition: Good condition with minor wear and minuscule nibbling. The jade with natural fissures, some of which have developed into small hairline cracks.Weight: 1,134 g Dimensions: Width 24.3 cm Expert's note: This censer is notable for its bold, well-proportioned form as well as its exquisitely carved archaistic taotie mask decorations and magnificent, pierced, coiled dragon-form finial. During the eighteenth century, some of the finest jade carvings found their inspiration in archaic artifacts collected and treasured by the emperors. The decorative motifs on the body of the present censer draw inspiration from archaic bronze vessels. Roger Keverne explains in his 1991 publication, Jade, pp. 164, that spinach-green incense burners of this type were found in the Imperial palace.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's New York, 21 March 2019, lot 1110 Price: USD 555,000 or approx. EUR 614,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A large spinach-green jade tripod censer and cover, Qing dynasty, 18th century Expert remark: Compare the closely related color, manner of carving with similar taotie decoration, and size (24.4 cm), as well as the related gui form with a similar open worked dragon finial, the vessel however raised on three legs.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's Hong Kong, 30 May 2005, lot 1567 Price: HKD 780,000 or approx. EUR 144,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A large spinach-green jade tripod censer and cover, Qianlong period Expert remark: Compare the closely related color, manner of carving with similar taotie decoration, and size (24.8 cm), as well as the related gui form with similar handles and openworked dragon finial, the vessel however raised on three legs and carved with flanges. 乾隆菠菜綠玉雕簋形蓋爐中國，1736-1795 年。由于平台拍品叙述的长度限制，我们移除了中文叙述，完整中文叙述请至www.zacke.at查看

AN IMPERIAL CLOISONNE ENAMEL JARDINIERE, SUPPORTED BY THREE GILT-BRONZE 'KNEELING BOYS' FEET, QIANLONG PERIODPublished: Cohen & Cohen, Tyger Tyger!, Antwerp, 2016, pages 72-73, no. 32.China, 1736-1795. The vessel with gently flared sides and supported by three feet, cast in gilt copper-alloy as kneeling boys dressed in voluminous robes incised with lotus blossoms and leafy vines, draped in billowing scarves, their faces well detailed with smiling expressions. The exterior of the vessel finely decorated with two rows of rectangular panels separated by raised gilt bands of twisted-rope design, each panel with five flowerheads brightly enameled in shades on a of blue, yellow, green, and white, borne on scrolling tendrils reserved on a rich red ground. The rim neatly incised with lotus blossoms and foliate scroll.Provenance: Cohen & Cohen, Antwerp, 2016. A noted private collection in New York, USA, acquired from the above.Condition: Excellent condition with some old wear, expected small losses with associated old fills, minor rubbing to gilt, minor nicks to enamels and metals. Shallow surface scratches. Expected manufacturing flaws such as minimal pitting. The interior has a good naturally grown patina with malachite encrustations.Weight: 1,484 g Dimensions: Height 18.2 cm, Diameter 15.5 cm The present vessel's bucket shape echoes a rustic wooden pail with vertical slats bound by rope and is clearly designed as an amusing variant of this standard artisan vessel, executed in expensive cloisonne enamels. Such conceits were very popular with the early Qing emperors, who took a particular pleasure in instructing their Palace and external craftsmen to recreate familiar objects in entirely different materials: archaic bronzes in jade, eel-trap nets in porcelain, bronze incense burners in lapis lazuli, or rhinoceros horn carvings in silver.Jardinieres of this shape still exist in the Qing Court Collections and have been published. Indeed, some still survive with additional embellishments at the top confirming that they were intended to be displayed in the Forbidden City and other Imperial palaces as pails of flowers, because some were deliberately fitted with simulated flower arrangements comprising miniature flowering trees, created with curling wire branches and suspending green hardstone leaves set with carnelian, crystal and other semi-precious hardstones.Literature comparison:Compare a closely related cloisonne flowerpot, dated to the mid-Qing dynasty, in the National Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in the Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Enamels 4, Cloisonne in the Qing Dynasty, Beijing, 2011, p. 35, no. 6. Compare a closely related gilt-bronze and cloisonne jardiniere illustrated in Colorful, Elegant, and Exquisite: A Special Exhibition of Imperial Enamel Ware from Mr. Robert Chang's Collection, Suzhou, 2009, pp. 84-85. Compare a closely related gilt-bronze and red cloisonne-enamel jardiniere supported by three boys, dated to the mid-Qing dynasty, illustrated in the Prime Cultural Relics Collected by Shenyang Imperial Palace Museum: The Enamel Volume, Shenyang, 2007, pp. 204-205. This example shows that the jardiniere was used to hold hardstone imitations of auspicious flowers.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Bonhams Hong Kong, 27 November 2019, lot 37 Price: HKD 313,125 or approx. EUR 38,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A rare imperial gilt-bronze and cloisonne-enamel jardiniere, Qianlong Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, decoration, and feet depicting kneeling foreigners. Note the larger size of the vessel (24.8 cm), which makes the kneeling foreigner figures look rather small in comparison. Also note that a vessel with kneeling foreigners feet is not registered in the Imperial collections, unlike the kneeling boys feet, of which numerous examples are documented. 乾隆時期御製銅胎掐絲琺瑯三足盆中國, 1736-1795年。盆斜腹敞口，三童子以跪姿肩負盆。童子為鎏金銅，穿著纏枝蓮花紋長袍，面露微笑。盆外壁如木桶狀，紅地飾花卉錦地，三道扭繩撞的鎏金束繩。琺瑯色彩明亮生動。盆口工整地刻有卷葉蓮紋。 出版：Cohen & Cohen, Tyger Tyger!, 安特衛普, 2016, 72-73頁, 圖 32。 來源：安特衛普Cohen & Cohen藝廊, 2016年；美國紐約知名私人收藏，購於上述藝廊。 品相：狀況極佳，有一些磨損，缺損有相應的修補，鎏金有輕微摩擦，琺瑯和金屬上有微小的刻痕。表面有淺劃痕。鑄造不規則，例如麻點。內部自然包漿，綠色結殼。 重量：1,484 克 尺寸：高 18.2 厘米, 直徑 15.5 厘米 由于平台拍品叙述的长度限制，我们移除了中文叙述，完整中文叙述请至www.zacke.at查看

A BLACK POTTERY AMPHORA WITH APPLIED COPPER BOSSES, LIFAN, HAN DYNASTYChina, 206 BC-220 AD. Elegantly potted, the lozenge-form mouth rim tapering to form two wide strap handles above the neck with a finely incised band running parallel. The ovoid body with spiral designs. Applied overall with conical copper bosses with beaded decoration.Provenance: French trade.Condition: Good condition with old wear and casting flaws, small nicks here and there, the bosses with malachite-green encrustations, some losses and scratches, all exactly as expected from an authentic piece with this age. Weight: 1,144 g Dimensions: Height 18.2 cm This type of black earthenware amphora was produced from the Warring States period and throughout the Han dynasty. The surface of the vessel has been shaped with tools and then burnished. This process of manufacture gives the jar its attractively rugged, yet carefully detailed and distinctive characteristics. The surface of the body is an amalgamation of complex curves with various convex and concave shapes. As noted by Regina Krahl in Yuegutang, A Collection of Chinese Ceramics in Berlin, 2000, page 55, amphorae of this distinct type are characteristic products of the Western Sichuan province where they were made by non-Chinese peoples. Hence, this type of vessel is known as Lifan, named after the area of Sichuan province in the far west of China, in which such jars have been found.There are obvious stylistic similarities between these Lifan vessels and objects from much earlier periods such as the Neolithic cultures of Machang (c. 3000-2000 BC) and Xindian (c. 1500-1000 BC). Similar black ware food containers with two handles have also been unearthed in Dena County, Yunan, an area that was the home of the southwestern Yi tribe during the Spring and Autumn period.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Galerie Zacke, Vienna, 5 March 2021, lot 138 Price: EUR 56,880 or approx. EUR 67,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A black pottery amphora with applied bronze bosses, Han dynasty Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and decoration. Note the larger size (33 cm). 漢代黑陶嵌銅泡釘雙耳壺中國，西元前206 至西元220年。縮頸，壺口外撇，鼓腹，寬大的雙耳從壺口延伸到腹部。壺上鑲嵌泡釘。 來源：法國古玩交易。 品相：狀況良好，有磨損和鑄造缺陷，大面積小刻痕，泡釘上有藍綠色結殼，還有一些缺損和劃痕。 重量：1,144 克 尺寸：高 18.2 釐米 這種黑陶雙耳壺從戰國到整個漢代都有生產。據推測，這些器皿上的泡釘，是在這個時代的巔峰時期製造的，例如漢朝上半葉。 正如 Regina Krahl 在《悅古堂-柏林中國陶瓷收藏》，2000 年，第 55 頁所指出的，這種獨特類型的雙耳瓶是四川西部省份的特有創作，以中國最西部的四川省地區命名。 這些器皿與更早時期的器物在風格上有明顯的相似之處，例如馬廠（約西元前 3000-2000 年）和新店（約西元前 1500-1000 年）的新石器時代文化，春秋時期西南彝族聚居地雲南德納縣也曾出土過類似的雙柄黑瓷食器。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：Galerie Zacke，維也納，2021年3月5日，lot 138 價格：EUR 56,880（相當於今日EUR 67,000） 描述：漢代黑陶嵌銅泡釘雙耳壺 專家評論：比較非常相近的外形和裝飾。請注意尺寸較大 (33 厘米)。

A RARE YUE BOWL AND COVER, FIVE DYNASTIES PERIODChina, 907-960. Finely potted, the gently flared sides supported on a short foot and surmounted by a domed cover applied at the top with a small rope-twist handle. The interior deeply carved with spiral decoration, the greyish-beige ware covered almost entirely in a pale olive green glaze, characteristic of the Yue kilns.Provenance: From a private collection in Sydney, Australia. Condition: Good condition with minimal wear and minor firing flaws, kiln grit, and minuscule chips. The rim with old kintsugi repairs.Weight: 328.1 g Dimensions: Diameter 10.2 cm With an associated silk storage box. (2)Yue ware originated in the Yue kilns of Northern Zhejiang, in the site of Jiyuan near Shaoxing, called 'Yuezhou' in ancient times. Its name goes back to the Yue Kingdom of the Spring and Autumn period. Yue ware was first manufactured in the 2nd century AD, when it consisted of very precise imitations of bronze vessels, many of which have been found in tombs of the Nanjing region. After this initial phase, Yue ware evolved progressively into true ceramic form, and became a medium of artistic expression. Production in Jiyuan stopped in the 6th century, but expanded to various areas of Zhejiang, especially the Shanglin Lake Yue Kilns near Ningbo. The 179 kiln sites located in this area appear to have been the earliest original celadon producers in China and elsewhere. From the late Eastern Han dynasty to the Southern Song dynasty (c. 200-1200), celadon was produced in vast amounts and traded in regional networks.Literature comparison: Compare a related yue bowl with a similar glaze, albeit with incised decoration depicting parrots, 14.6 cm diameter, also dated to the Five Dynasties period, in the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, object number B60P1391.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's New York, 22 March 2019, lot 1701 Price: USD 75,000 or approx. EUR 81,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A rare yue box and cover, Five Dynasties period Expert remark: Compare the related greyish-beige ware covered almost entirely in a pale olive green glaze, and the similarly plain form. Note the size (8.7 cm). 五代越窯蓋盒中國，907-960年。盒直口，直腹上寬下窄，平底足上有弦紋。盒蓋面弧形。蓋面一繩紋鈕。盒内數道弦紋。盒里外及足內滿釉，釉呈青黃色。來源：澳大利亞雪梨私人收藏。 品相：狀況良好，磨損極小，燒製缺陷、窯砂和少量微小碎片，邊緣用金繼技術修復。 重量：328.1 克 尺寸：直徑 10.2 厘米 配有絲綢儲物盒。(2)文獻比較： 比較一件相近的五代鸚鵡紋越窯碗，直徑14.6 厘米， 收藏於舊金山亞洲藝術博物館，館藏編號B60P1391。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：紐約佳士得，2019年3月22日，lot 1701 價格：USD 75,000（相當於今日EUR 81,000） 描述：五代越窯青釉蓋盒 專家評論：比較相近的類似於橄欖綠釉面和外形。請注意尺寸(8.7 厘米)。

AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE IMPERIAL ENAMELED COPPER HANDWARMER, QIANLONG MARK AND PERIODChina, (1736-1795). Each side of the vessel is painted intricately with long tailed birds and butterflies in ornate gardens with rockwork, shrubs and flowers, within pink kuilong-bordered panels surrounded by peony, prunus, and lotus blossoms, all reserved on a pale lilac ground, the neck with a key-fret band.The pierced copper-repousse lid is finely enameled and gilt with a central shou character in openwork among colorful clouds, the sides with shaped panels enclosing floral splays reserved against a brocade diapered ground. To the short sides, movable and hinged gilt-bronze overhanging handles.The interior with rich turquoise enamel. The recessed base with a six-character seal mark in blue enamel da Qing Qianlong nianzhi and of the period.Provenance: From a private estate in Belgium, formerly in the collection of Paul Doumer. The base inscribed with an old collector's number '196.' Joseph Athanase Doumer (1857-1932), commonly known as Paul Doumer, was the President of France from 13 June 1931 until his assassination on 7 May 1932. He was Governor-General of French Indochina from 1897 to 1902, and successfully lobbied the French government to approve construction of the Indochina-Yunnan railway in 1898. He served as Minister of Finance of France three times and as President of the French Senate from 1927 until the 1931 presidential election, which he won.Condition: Absolutely original and unrestored condition. Only minor old wear and expected manufacturing irregularities. Minor losses to enamels, mostly on the cover. Slight warping, light scratches, and a few fine and hardly visible hairlines. The condition is very well visible on the images, with no hidden damages whatsoever. The bronze fittings with a good natural patina. Overall exceptionally well preserved, especially given its age, fragility and rarity.Weight: 526 gDimensions: Length 14 cm Expert's note: Without question a masterpiece of Chinese 18th century enameling, this handwarmer exemplifies the softness and elegance achieved on the finest of enameled copper wares produced at the Palace workshops during the first half of the Qianlong reign. The delicacy in the use of the enamels is a key feature of the Palace workshops, allowing for considerable subtlety of expression. The brilliant, more opaque enamels used for the decorative borders in contrast to the softer main subject, demonstrate the range of possibilities available to Court artists. Of the two main Palace painted enamel arts (on glass and on copper), those on copper are more frequent. During the Qianlong reign enameled copper wares, including snuff bottles, ran into the thousands, whereas enameled glass wares were produced only in the low hundreds. Handwarmers, however, were never produced in glass, and therefore must be considered as exceedingly rare, although made from copper.A rough estimate of the total number of enameled copper handwarmers produced during the Qianlong reign comes to less than one hundred, of which only few remain in private hands to this day. This is mainly due to the greater difficulty of producing them successfully, the need for multiple firings to correctly mature different colors and layers of enamel, and the much higher failure rate during production, due to the complex firing and re-firing process necessary to create the enameled openwork copper-repousse cover. It was probably for this reason that the Imperial records also show that the Emperor only rarely distributed enameled openwork copper wares as gifts, preferring to keep most of them for Imperial use, while gifts of standard enameled metal wares were apparently quite frequent.Literature comparison: Compare a closely related enamel handwarmer, also with a Qianlong mark and of the period, 14 cm long, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 24.80.473a, b. Compare a related painted enamel handwarmer, dated to the Qianlong period, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, accession number Gu 00116721. Compare a related painted enamel handwarmer, dated to the mid-Qing dynasty, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, accession number Gu 00116718. Compare a related painted enamel handwarmer, dated to the Qianlong period, in the Palace Museum, Taipei, image number K1E000234N000000000PAB.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's, New York, 30 March 2005, lot 158 Price: USD 36,000 or approx. EUR 51,500 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A rare painted enamel quadrilobed handwarmer, Qianlong six-character seal mark in ruby-red enamel within a square and of the period (1736-1795)Expert remark: Compare the related enameled decoration, form, and Qianlong reign mark. Note the size (16.2 cm)Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Bonhams New York, 20 November 2006, lot 6241 Price: USD 35,850 or approx. EUR 49,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A fine canton enamel bronze hand warmer, Qianlong mark and period Expert remark: Compare the related enameled decoration, form, and Qianlong reign mark. Note the size (16.5 cm) 乾隆款及年代銅胎琺瑯開光花卉手爐中國，1736-1795年。由于平台拍品叙述的长度限制，我们移除了中文叙述，完整中文叙述请至www.zacke.at查看

AN IMPERIAL CINNABAR LACQUER 'ZHANG SHENG'S DREAM' SNUFF BOTTLE, CHINA, 1730-1830Attributed to the Palace Workshops, Beijing. Of flattened ovoid form, deeply carved through the layers of cinnabar lacquer with a continuous landscape scene divided by rockwork and trees, one side with Zhang Sheng sleeping at his desk on a covered porch, as he sleeps a wispy line representing the dreams of the young scholar swirls above his head, flowing and spreading into the other side of the bottle showing him in a passionate embrace with his forbidden love, Cui Yingying, all on a variety of diaper grounds.Provenance: Galerie Max in Brussels, Belgium, 19 February 1966 (according to an ancient family ledger inspected by Cabinet Portier, Paris, France, during their appraisal of the complete de Strycker estate; this ledger remains in the possession of the de Strycker family and may not be copied). Collection of Robert and Isabelle de Strycker, acquired from the above and thence by descent in the same family. Robert de Strycker (1903-1968) was a French engineer who specialized in metallurgy. He was a Stanford graduate, a professor at the University of Leuven, a director of the Institute of Metallurgy at the Universite Catholique de Louvain, and one of the most influential members of the faculty of applied sciences. After World War II, he made large contributions to France's post-war recovery. Robert and his wife Isabelle (1915-2010) first encountered Chinese art at the British Museum during a stay in London in the 1930s. Enamored with the style and beauty, they both decided to study and collect Chinese works of art. In 1938 they eventually began to build their collection, buying from Belgian, Parisian, and English dealers. They kept close contact with the famous English collector Sir Harry Garner (1891-1977) and noted Czech collector and expert Fritz Low-Beer (1906-1976). In 1964, the couple lent 174 objects from their collection to the Belgian city of Leuven's museum for an exhibition titled Oude kunst in Leuvens Privebezit ('Old Art in Private Collections in Leuven'), and in 1967 they lent around thirty Japanese objects to the Royal Museums of Art and History in Brussels for their exhibition Kunst van Japan im belgischen Privatverzameingen ('Japanese Art in Belgian Private Collections').Condition: Good condition with minor wear and expected manufacturing irregularities, small natural age cracks, minuscule nicks, and a few tiny losses and old fills.Stopper: Matching chrysanthemum-form cinnabar lacquer stopper with a gilt bronze knop and platelet, metal spoonWeight: 64.6 gDimensions: Height including stopper 7.2 cm. Diameter neck 1.9 cm and mouth 0.5 cm This is a classic imperial lacquer snuff bottle on bronze. The group of bottles represents masterly carving in lacquer that is splendidly sculptural and covers a range of delightful subject matter, usually drawn from popular dramas, operas or novels, or myths and legends. We can be sure that the group as a whole was imperial, even if we cannot be sure that every last example was made for the court. If they were for example made in Suzhou, the same workshops might have made a few pieces for private sale as well.The snuff bottle depicts a famous scene from the Romance of the Western Chamber, written by Wang Shifu (1250-1300), a story immensely popular with all levels of society. Woodblock illustrations in the many editions helped conventionalize images that were instantly recognizable to the public, thus creating a corpus of motifs that was widely used by jade carvers, painters, silk embroiderers, lacquer workers, and other craftsmen.Professor Herbert Giles, whose History of Chinese Literature was published in 1924, refers to The Xixiang Ji as the play “which will best repay reading". It is the typical story where a handsome student and a beautiful girl attempt to cross the social divide, aided and incited by the girl's maid. The dialogue is punctuated with images of wind, snow, moonlight, and flowers, emphasizing both the passion and the romance felt by the struggling couple.Literature comparison:Four cinnabar lacquer bottles from this group carved with figural scenes are in the Qing Court Collection in the Palace Museum, Beijing, and are illustrated in Masterpieces of Snuff Bottles in the Palace Museum, Beijing, 1995, pp. 187-90, nos. 192-95. Another is illustrated in Moss, Graham, Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles, The Mary and George Bloch Collection, Vol. 7, Part 1, Hong Kong, 2009, pp. 175-82, no. 1538.Auction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Bonhams New York, 20 March 2012, lot 66Price: USD 25,000 or approx. EUR 31,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A carved cinnabar lacquer snuff bottle, probably Imperial, possibly Palace workshops, 1730-1820Expert remark: Note the size (5.7 cm)Auction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Christie's New York, 22 March 2007, lot 7Price: USD 20,400 or approx. EUR 28,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A fine carved lacquer snuff bottle, probably Imperial, attributed to the Palace workshops, Beijing, 1730-1820Expert remark: Note the size (6.35 cm) 1730-1830年御製剔犀《西廂記》場景鼻煙壺疑爲內務府造辦處所製。由于平台拍品叙述的长度限制，我们移除了中文叙述，完整中文叙述请至www.zacke.at查看

A 'DOUBLE CICADA' BRONZE ORNAMENT, LATE SHANG DYNASTY, ANYANG PHASEExpert's note: The style of the two cicadae on this bronze belt buckle dates it firmly within the Anyang phase of the Shang dynasty. Later, these insects were depicted more naturalistically, as becomes clear for example when looking at the Cicada 'noses' depicted on a fangzun bronze dating to the Western Zhou dynasty, see literature comparison below.China, c. 1200 - 1046 BC. Of rectangular form, the finely cast sturdy plaque depicting two cicadae set in a row and surrounded by swirling C-scrolls, all in high relief and neatly incised. The two stylized insects have spade-shaped heads with naturalistic eyes set on top of a tapering body with wings extending along the side. The back has two loops for attachment.Provenance: P.C. Lu Works of Art Ltd, Hong Kong. From a private collection in the northeastern United States, acquired from the above. Started as a small business in January 1976 in Hong Kong, selling Chinese antiques, P.C. Lu was able to scale operations, eventually sending his son Fred to the MIT to pursue his PhD. Today, many objects from his fine collection are housed in the British Museum.Condition: Very good condition, commensurate with age. Wear, signs of weathering and erosion, small losses, and traces of soil likely from a prolonged period of burial. The bronze has a remarkable, naturally grown olive green and beige patina with distinct malachite encrustations.One tiny hairline to the lip.Weight: 100.6 g Dimensions: Length 10 cm Literature comparison:Compare a similarly styled bronze cicada ornament, 3.8 cm long, dated to the Shang dynasty, in the British Museum, registration number 1933,0413.8. Compare the cicada motif along the neck of a bronze gu, 31 cm high, dated to the Shang dynasty, at Bonhams New York, 19 March 2018, lot 8030. Compare a related cicada 'nose' decoration on the front of a fangzun, dated to the Western Zhou dynasty, at Sotheby's New York, 18 March 2008, lot 71. 商代安陽時期青銅蟬紋飾物中國，西元前約1200 - 1046 年。精美鑄造長方形飾物，兩隻首尾相連的蟬紋，兩隻大目，頭部和體軀分別作長三角形，腹部有條紋；周圍環繞浮雕雷紋。背面有兩個用於固定的環。專家注釋：此件青銅帶扣上的兩隻蟬的造型，無疑屬於商代安陽時期。 之後這些昆蟲的描繪更加自然，例如西周方尊青銅器上的蟬，參見下面的文獻比較。 來源：香港P.C. Lu Works of Art Ltd藝術公司；美國東北部私人收藏購於上述公司。P.C. Lu 藝術公司於1976 年 1 月在香港成立，最初是一家銷售中國古董的小企業，後來擴大運營規模，最終將他的兒子Fred送到麻省理工學院攻讀博士學位。 如今，他的許多精美收藏品都收藏在大英博物館中。 品相：狀況良好，有磨損、風化和侵蝕跡象、小缺損，以及可能來自長期埋藏的土壤痕跡。表面有自然包漿和銅鏽，並帶有獨特的藍綠色和米色結殼。 重量：100.6 克 尺寸：長 10 釐米 文獻比較： 比較一件相似的商代蟬紋飾物，長3.8 釐米，收藏於大英博物館，館藏編號1933,0413.8。比較商代安陽時期青銅觚，高31 釐米，見紐約邦瀚斯，2018年3月19日，lot 8030。比較一件相近的西周蟬紋方尊，見紐約蘇富比，2008年3月18日，lot 71。

A FINELY INCISED BRONZE 'BIRD' FERRULE, EASTERN ZHOU DYNASTYChina, 770-221 BC. Well cast in the form of a bird with well detailed features such as round eyes, a curved beak, and scrolling wings, with neatly incised plumage and claws. The bronze finial has two apertures for mounting near the open shaft, the tip of the fitting is carved with scroll designs and links to the tail of the bird, which grips in its claws a raised band of scroll encircling the shaft. The bronze with a rich, naturally grown patina with malachite and cuprite encrustations.Provenance: A private collection in Taipei, acquired in Japan during the 1980s. The MQ Collection, acquired from the above in 1987. The storage box with a label inscribed in Japanese, 'Shunju, Ho-gata ishizuki' ('Spring and Autumn Period, Zun in the shape of a Ho-o bird'). In this case, the term 'zun' (pronounced 'ichizuki' in Japanese) refers to a ferrule fitted at the end of ge halberds and dagger-axes.Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, casting flaws, encrustations, signs of weathering and erosion, nicks, scratches, dents, losses.Weight: 72 g Dimensions: Length 8.2 cm With a Japanese silk storage box. (2)The present piece, similar to other ferrules of the period, was made to cap the foot of ceremonial poles or weapons, such as spears; it not only protects the shaft but also highlights the superiority of its owner. These ferrules appear to have been conceived individually, showcasing the borderless creativity of the Zhou dynasty artisans.Birds were a common decorative motif in the Western Zhou period, when a profusion of highly abstracted animal forms emerged in the decorative arts, most notably in the ornament of ritual bronze vessels. Avian motifs took on greater realism in the Eastern Zhou and the present lot is a good example of this aesthetic evolution. While quite stylized, the incision work attractively suggests the animal's feather patterns and the contours of its musculature.Literature comparison: Compare a closely related bronze bird-form ferrule, 10.9 cm long, dated to the Eastern Zhou dynasty, 4th century, included in the exhibition Ancient Chinese and Ordos Bronzes, Hong Kong Museum of Art, 1990, cat. no. 86. 東周青銅鳥形鐏中國，公元前770-221 年。鳥形鐏，圓眼、彎喙、羽毛、小爪等細節生動。青銅尖頂有兩個孔，用於安裝在開口附近，配件的尖端刻有渦卷圖案，並連接到鳥的尾巴。青銅包漿細膩，有紅綠銅結殼。 來源：台北私人收藏，20世紀80年代購於日本；MQ收藏，1987年從上述收藏購得。儲物盒上刻有日文標籤“春秋 鳳形鐏"。這裏的“鐏" 是指安裝在戟和匕首末端的套圈。 品相：品相良好，大面積磨損、鑄造缺陷、結殼、風化和侵蝕跡象、刻痕、劃痕、凹痕、缺損。 重量：72 克 尺寸：長8.2 厘米 配有日本絲綢收納盒。(2)文獻比較： 比較一件非常相近的東周鳥形鐏，長10.9 厘米，展覽於《Ancient Chinese and Ordos Bronzes》，香港藝術博物館，1990年，圖錄編號86。

A GOLD-, SILVER- AND TURQUOISE-INLAID BRONZE 'DRAGON' GARMENT HOOK, WARRING STATES PERIODChina, 475-221 BC. Superbly cast with a dragon-head hook with neatly inlaid turquoise eyes and crest, finely decorated with a central floral design composed of a turquoise-inlaid circle surrounded by a gold-inlaid band and four ruyi petals, further decorated with turquoise-inlaid angular scroll, terminating in a second dragon head with laidback ears and long snout, the underside with a circular button.Provenance: Collection of Miklos Grunberg, and thence by decent in the same family. Mossgreen Auctions, Melbourne, Australia, 2 June 2008, lot 127. A private collection in Melbourne, Australia, acquired from the above. Miklos Grunberg (1918-1988) was born in Budapest, Hungary, and immigrated to Australia in the 1940s. In the early 1950s, he founded a mining consulting firm in Sydney, where he worked for various mining projects including the Uranium mine in Silver Valley. He was an avid collector of Chinese artifacts and works of art, and he donated several pieces to the National Library of Australia.Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, signs of weathering and erosion, casting flaws, minor losses, tiny nicks, light scratches, small dents, encrustations. The finely polished silver and bronze surface with a rich, naturally grown patina with malachite and cuprite encrustations.Weight: 121.8 gDimensions: Length 20.4 cm Literature comparison:Compare a related turquoise inlaid belt hook of thin elongated shape, dated to the Warring States period, published in Julia White et al., Adornment for the Body and Soul: Ancient Chinese Ornaments from the Mengdiexuan Collection, Hong Kong 1999, p. 109. Compare a related garment hook with geometric decorations, 21 cm long, dated 5th-4th century BC, in the National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, accession number F1948.27. Compare a closely related belt hook with a similar four-petal design in the center, albeit inlaid in turquoise, illustrated in Chinese Art from the Collection of H.M. King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden, Tokyo and Osaka, 1971, no. 32. Compare a related turquoise-inlaid gilt-bronze belt hook, dated to the 4th century BC, in the Museum of East Asian Art, Bath, record number BATEA : 238.Auction result comparison: Type: RelatedAuction: Bonhams New York, 21 September 2020, lot 308Estimate: USD 20,000 or approx. EUR 22,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A fine and rare inlaid bronze garment hook, Warring States/Western Han dynastyExpert remark: Note the size (21.3 cm). 戰國錯金銀嵌綠松石龍頭鈎中國，西元前475-221 年。鑄工精良，龍頭鉤，一頭眼部和頭部鑲綠松石，鑲嵌工整，龍身錯金銀，飾綠松石，形如龍爪；第二個龍頭可見耳朵和長鼻子。身下有一個圓形鈕。來源：Miklos Grunberg收藏，自此在同一家族保存；澳洲墨爾本Mossgreen 拍賣行，2008年6月2日，lot 127；墨爾本私人收藏購於上述拍賣。Miklos Grunberg (1918-1988) 出生於匈牙利布達佩斯，二十世紀四十年代移居澳洲。二十世紀五十年代初，他在雪梨創立了一家採礦諮詢公司，負責多個採礦項目，包括銀穀的鈾礦。他收藏中國文物和藝術品，並向澳洲國家圖書館捐贈了多件作品。 品相：狀態良好，與年齡相稱。廣泛磨損、風化和侵蝕跡象、鑄造缺陷、輕微損失、微小刻痕、輕微劃痕、小凹痕、結殼。精細拋光的銀和青銅表面具有豐富的自然生長的銅綠，帶有孔雀石和赤銅礦結殼。 重量：121.8 克 尺寸：長 20.4 厘米 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：紐約邦瀚斯，2020年9月21日，lot 308 估價：USD 20,000（相當於今日EUR 22,000） 描述：戰國/西漢局部鎏金銅錯銀嵌松石雙獸首帶鈎一件 專家評論：請注意尺寸(21.3 厘米)。由于平台拍品叙述的长度限制，我们移除了中文叙述，完整中文叙述请至www.zacke.at查看

A SILVER-INLAID BRONZE CROSSBOW FITTING, WARRING STATES PERIODChina, 475-221 BC. Of rounded rectangular form, the hollow fitting has a square base and an aperture at the back for mounting it to the weapon. It is decorated overall with a geometric design of lozenge silver inlays with C-scrolls and stylized leafy scrolls. The top has a raised oval that extends down the side and is covered in the same design.Provenance: P.C. Lu Works of Art Ltd, Hong Kong. From a private collection in the northeastern United States, acquired from the above. Started as a small business in January 1976 in Hong Kong, selling Chinese antiques, P.C. Lu was able to scale operations, eventually sending his son Fred to the MIT to pursue his PhD. Today, many objects from his fine collection are housed in the British Museum.Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Signs of wear and weathering, dents, scratches, extensive rubbing to one side, soil encrustations, losses, corrosion. The inside seems to bear small remnants of fabric. Naturally grown patina with solid malachite encrustations overall.Weight: 201.4 g Dimensions: Width 5.5 cm Literature comparison:Compare a related corner fitting, 5.8 cm long, dated 4th-3rd century BC, in the National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, accession number S2012.9.1605. Compare a related finial with gold and silver inlays, 6.3 cm long, dated 5th-3rd century BC, in the National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, accession number S2012.9.2236. Compare a pair of bronze finials with silver inlays decorated with a similar geometric design, 6 cm long, dated 5th-4th century BC, in the National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, accession number S2012.9.1677.1-2.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christies New York, 16 March 2017, lot 865 Price: USD 9,375 or approx. EUR 10,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A Silver-Inlaid Bronze Circular Ornament, Warring States Period (475-221 Bc) Expert remark: Note the similar inlay work and size (6 cm). 戰國錯銀銅十字弓配件中國，公元前475-221年。中空配件呈圓角矩形，有一個方形底座，背面有一個孔，用於將其安裝到武器上。 整體裝飾採用菱形銀色鑲嵌幾何設計，帶有卷葉紋。頂部有一個凸起的橢圓形，向下延伸到側面，並覆蓋有相同的紋飾。 來源：香港P.C. Lu Works of Art Ltd藝術公司；美國東北部私人收藏購於上述公司。P.C. Lu 藝術公司於1976 年 1 月在香港成立，最初是一家銷售中國古董的小企業，後來擴大運營規模，最終將他的兒子Fred送到麻省理工學院攻讀博士學位。 如今，他的許多精美收藏品都收藏在大英博物館中。 品相：品相良好，有磨損和風化跡象、凹痕、劃痕、一側有大面積磨損、土壤結殼、損失、腐蝕。內部似乎有少量織物殘留。自然包漿，整體帶有堅固的結殼。 重量：201.4 克 尺寸：寬 5.5 厘米 文獻比較： 比較一件相近的西元前四至三世紀十字弓配件，5.8 厘米長，收藏於史密森國立亞洲藝術博物館，館藏編號S2012.9.1605。比較一件相近的西元前五至三世紀錯金銀鑲嵌矛，6.3 厘米長，收藏於史密森國立亞洲藝術博物館，館藏編號S2012.9.2236。比較一對西元前五至四世紀錯銀鑲嵌相似的幾何設計頂端，6 厘米長，收藏於史密森國立亞洲藝術博物館，館藏編號S2012.9.1677.1-2。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：紐約佳士得，2017年3月16日，lot 865 價格：USD 9,375（相當於今日EUR 10,500） 描述：戰國銅錯銀圓飾 專家評論：請注意相似的鑲嵌和尺寸(6 厘米)。

A PAIR OF GILT-BRONZE TAOTIE MASKS WITH RING HANDLES, WARRING STATES TO HAN DYNASTYChina, 5th century BC to 2nd century AD. Each well cast and finely detailed with bulging eyes below thick brows and ruyi horns, all above a pair of arms, each suspending a loose ring from the down-turned nose, which continues into a rectangular tab on the back below another tab pierced for attachment. (4)Provenance: P.C. Lu Works of Art Ltd, Hong Kong. The private collection of an American north-east collector, acquired from the above. Started as a small business in January 1976 in Hong Kong, selling Chinese antiques, P.C. Lu was able to scale operations, eventually sending his son Fred to the MIT to pursue his PhD. Today, many objects from his fine collection are housed in the British Museum.Condition: Very good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, light scratches, minor dents and losses, signs of weathering and erosion, expected casting flaws. Fine, solid patina with malachite encrustations.Dimensions: Height 7.1 cm (each) Expert's note: Taotie masks handles which retain their forelegs remain truest to their Shang and Zhou bronze precursors and should be dated to the early Western Han Dynasty. The inclusion of human-like arms in this design is rather unusual, and related to a small number of bronze ring handles with human-form decoration, including one excavated in 1968 at Mancheng, Hebei, from the tomb of Liu Sheng (d.113 BC) in the Hebei Provincial Museum which was illustrated in the Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibition catalog Age of Empires: Chinese Art of the Qin and Han Dynasties (221 B.C.-A.D. 220), New York, 2017, pages 184-185, no. 103.Auction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Christie's New York, 24-25 March 2022, lot 294Estimate: USD 3,000 or approx. EUR 2,900 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A pair of small gilt-bronze taotie mask fittings, Han-Northern Wei dynasty (206 BC-534 AD)Expert remark: Compare the related decoration. Note the similar size (7 cm) and that the lot also comprises a pair.Auction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Bonhams London, 9 May 2016, lot 727Estimate: USD 3,000 or approx. EUR 3,300 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A pair of small gilt-bronze taotie mask and loose ring handles, Han dynastyExpert remark: Compare the related decoration. Note the similar size (6.5 cm) and that the lot also comprises a pair. 戰國至漢代一對鎏金銅獸面活環輔首中國，公元前五世紀至公元二世紀。鑄造精良，細節精緻，獸面濃密的眉毛，彎曲的角，大眼圓睜，嘴部有一雙手，鼻子下懸掛一個可以活動的環。細膩堅固的包漿，帶有紅綠色銅鏽結殼。(4) 來源：香港P.C. Lu Works of Art Ltd藝術公司；美國東北部私人收藏購於上述公司。P.C. Lu 藝術公司於1976 年 1 月在香港成立，最初是一家銷售中國古董的小企業，後來擴大運營規模，最終將他的兒子Fred送到麻省理工學院攻讀博士學位。 如今，他的許多精美收藏品都收藏在大英博物館中。 品相：狀況非常好，大面積磨損、輕微的劃痕、凹痕和缺損、風化和侵蝕的跡象。細膩堅實的包漿，帶有綠色結殼。 尺寸：各高7.1 厘米 拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：紐約佳士得，2022年3月24-25日，lot 294 估價：USD 3,000（相當於今日EUR 2,900） 描述：漢/北魏銅鎏金鋪首啣環飾一對 專家評論：比較相近的裝飾。請注意相似的尺寸(7 厘米) ，以及此為一對。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：倫敦邦翰斯，2016年5月9日，lot 727 估價：USD 3,000（相當於今日EUR 3,300） 描述：漢代一對鎏金銅鋪首啣環飾 專家評論：比較相近的裝飾。請注意相似的尺寸(6.5 厘米) ，以及此為一對。

A LARGE CINNABAR LACQUER 'PHOENIX' FLOWERPOT, MING DYNASTYChina, 15th to early 16th century. With a heavily cast bronze body, finely modeled with deep rounded sides supported on a short foot and rising to an everted rim. Superbly carved through the layers of lustrous deep crimson lacquer to the ochre ground with a pair of phoenixes flying with outstretched wings amid large peony blossoms borne on leafy stems, with neatly incised details such as the feathers, blossoms, and leaves. Provenance: From an old private collection in Cotswold, United Kingdom. Acquired in the 1920s or earlier, and kept in the same family ever since, according to the last owner.Condition: Remarkably well preserved, commensurate with age. Old wear, expected age cracks and splits, small losses, tiny nicks here and there, light scratches. Some sections of the lacquer are slightly loosened.Weight: 4,675 g Dimensions: Diameter 34 cm, Height 27.4 cm The 'two birds' design featuring a pair of birds among flowers was a popular motif in Chinese carved lacquer, particularly from the thirteenth to early fifteenth century. In this example, two phoenixes fly amid lush, blossoming peonies. Such decoration also became standard in other media, such as textiles and ceramics, produced by the Imperial workshops of the Ming dynasty.Literature comparison: Compare a related cinnabar lacquer box and cover, similarly carved on an ochre ground with long-tailed birds and prunus blossoms, 24.2 cm in diameter, dated 1550-1650, in the Victoria & Albert Museum, accession number FE.50-1974.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's Paris, 12 December 2019, lot 62 Price: EUR 150,000 or approx. EUR 170,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A rare and finely carved red cinnabar lacquer 'peony' box and cover, Xuande six-character mark and of the period (1426-1435) Expert remark: Compare the closely related manner of carving through layers of cinnabar lacquer to an ochre ground, as well as the related peony motif, albeit without phoenixes. Note the reign mark, different form, and the much smaller size (22 cm). 明代大型剔犀鳳鳥紋花盆中國，十五至十六世紀初。銅胎剔犀，弦紋口，深弧形腹。精美剔犀，雕琢一對展翅飛翔的鳳凰，卷葉牡丹，羽毛、花朵、葉子等細節都雕刻得十分細緻。全器漆色鮮紅，色彩純正，布局層次分明，雕刻有力，刀法渾厚婉轉，藏鋒不露，磨工精細圓潤。 來源：來自英國科茨沃爾德的私人舊藏；根據最後一位主人的說法，這件拍品是在 1920 年代或更早時期購入，自那以後一直由同一個家族保管。 品相：保存完好，磨損、年代裂縫和裂口、小缺損、局部微小的刻痕和劃痕。部分漆面有輕微鬆動。 重量：4,675 克 尺寸：直徑 34 厘米，高 27.4 厘米 文獻比較: 比較一件相近的1550-1650年剔犀蓋盒 ，相似的赭石地上雕刻著長尾鳥和李花，直徑24.2 厘米，收藏於Victoria & Albert Museum，館藏編號 FE.50-1974。 拍賣比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：巴黎佳士得，2019年12月12日，lot 62 價錢：EUR 150,000（相當今日EUR 170,000） 描述：明宣德剔紅纏枝牡丹四季花卉紋蓋盒 專家註釋：比較非常相近的雕刻風格，透過層層硃砂漆，到赭色底色，以及相近的牡丹圖案，儘管沒有鳳凰。請注意 年代款、不同的外形，以及尺寸較小 (22 厘米)

A GILT-BRONZE 'FIGHTING DRAGONS' SWORD FITTING, WARRING STATES PERIOD TO HAN DYNASTYChina, 5th century BC to 2nd century AD. Finely cast, the round pommel is decorated with two dragons gripping each other with their claws and biting the other's tail. The smooth bronze is covered overall in gilding and terminating with a hollow square extension for attachment to the sword hilt.Provenance: P.C. Lu Works of Art Ltd, Hong Kong. From a private collection in the northeastern United States, acquired from the above. Started as a small business in January 1976 in Hong Kong, selling Chinese antiques, P.C. Lu was able to scale operations, eventually sending his son Fred to the MIT to pursue his PhD. Today, many objects from his fine collection are housed in the British Museum. Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Signs of wear and some weathering, dents, the gilding is worn around the edges exposing the chocolate-brown patina to the bronze. Some nicks to the square fitting.Weight: 101.9 g Dimensions: Diameter 4.7 cm Literature comparison:Compare a closely related hilt fitting, 4.6 cm in diameter, dated to the Han dynasty, in the British Museum, registration number 1932,0316.18. Compare a related bronze fitting dating to the Western Han Dynasty depicting a leopard, illustrated by J. Rawson and E. Bunker in Ancient Chinese and Ordos Bronzes, Hong Kon, 1990, cat. no. 113. Compare a related bronze fitting with three coiled dragons, formerly in the Dr. Carl Kempe Collection, illustrated in Chinese Gold and Silver, Ulricehamn, 1999, cat. no. 11. Compare also a near-identical example in Ancient Chinese and Ordos Bronzes, Jessa Rawson and Emma Bunker, number 113, described there as the depcition of a 'leopard in relief'.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Bonham's London, 11 May 2021, lot 41 Price: GBP 3,187 or approx. EUR 4,700 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A rare gold-sheet-mounted bronze embossed 'dragon' fitting, Warring States Period or Han dynasty Expert remark: Compare the similar shape and dragon motif. Note the size (4.5 cm). 戰國至漢代銅鎏金龍紋劍配件中國，西元前五世紀至西元二世紀。圓形鞍頭上飾有兩條雙龍圖案，鑄工精細。整體鎏金光滑，末端有一個空心方形延伸部分，用於連接劍柄。 來源：香港P.C. Lu Works of Art Ltd藝術公司；美國東北部私人收藏購於上述公司。P.C. Lu 藝術公司於1976 年 1 月在香港成立，最初是一家銷售中國古董的小企業，後來擴大運營規模，最終將他的兒子Fred送到麻省理工學院攻讀博士學位。 如今，他的許多精美收藏品都收藏在大英博物館中。 品相：狀況良好，有磨損和一些風化、凹痕，邊緣處有鎏金磨損，可見褐色的銅鏽暴露在青銅色下。 方形配件上有一些刻痕。 重量：101.9 克 尺寸：直徑 4.7 釐米 文獻比較： 比較一件非常相近的漢代劍配件，直徑4.6 釐米，收藏於大英博物館，館藏編號1932,0316.18。比較一件相近的西漢青銅豹紋劍配件，見J. Rawson和E. Bunker，《Ancient Chinese and Ordos Bronzes》，香港，1990年，圖錄編號113。比較一件相近的三條盤龍紋劍配件，曾藏於Dr. Carl Kempe Collection，見《Chinese Gold and Silver，Ulricehamn》，1999年，圖錄編號11。比較一件幾乎相同的例子，Jessa Rawson 和 Emma Bunker，見《Ancient Chinese and Ordos Bronzes》，編號 113，在書中描述為“浮雕豹"。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：倫敦邦瀚斯，2021年5月11日，lot 41 價格：GBP 3,187（相當於今日EUR 4,700） 描述：戰國/漢貼金銅蟠龍紋飾 專家評論：比較相似的外型和龍主題。請注意尺寸 (4.5 釐米)

A SET OF BRONZE SWORDS, EASTERN ZHOU TO EARLY HAN DYNASTYChina, 3rd-2nd century BC. Each with a scalloped cross-section and edge, the swords are slightly waisted to the point with a pronounced median ridge. The handles have two rings on the grip and are without pommels. One sword shows a vibrant malachite green patina, while the other is of a rather dark green color overall.Provenance: From the personal collection of Michael B. Weisbrod, New York. The fitted box has an old auction label, '19 MAR 97. Sale 8602. Lot 179.' Michael B. Weisbrod is a noted scholar of Chinese art, who has published extensively on the subject over a time span of more than 50 years. In 1972, Michael joined his father Dr. Gerald Weisbrod's Asian art gallery in Toronto, Canada. The father-and-son team opened their New York location on Madison Avenue in 1977, and during the next 45 years the gallery held a significant number of exhibitions, selling to museums and private collectors across the globe, eventually adding further locations in Shanghai and Hong Kong. Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Expected signs of weathering and erosion corresponding to an extended period of burial. Losses, chips, metal flaking due to fatigue, soil encrustations, and remnants of ancient pigment.Weight: 473.9 g and 496.9 g Dimensions: Length 48 cm and 51.8 cm With a fitted wood box, neatly padded with silk. (3)Literature comparison: Compare a related bronze sword, 41 cm long, dated 5th-3rd century BC, in the National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, accession number F1979.2. Compare a related bronze sword, 43 cm long, dated 4th-3rd century BC, in the National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, accession number F1979.4.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 6 October 2022 Price: HKD 201,600 or approx. EUR 24,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A bronze sword, Eastern Zhou-Han dynasty, 3rd-2nd century BC Expert remark: Note the similar double rings on the handle. Note the size (65.2 cm).13% VAT will be added to the hammer price additional to the buyer's premium - only for buyers within the EU. 東周至漢初一組銅劍中國，公元前三至二世紀。劍柄扁圓分格，劍身有道稜於中間突起，通身積厚綠銅鏽。來源：紐約 Michael B. Weisbrod 的私人收藏。盒子上有一個舊拍賣標籤：“97 年3 月19 日。拍賣編號8602。拍品179。" Michael B. Weisbrod 是一位著名的中國藝術學者，他在50 多年的時間裡發表了大量有關中國藝術的文章。1972年，Michael加入了他父親Gerald Weisbrod博士在加拿大多倫多的亞洲藝廊。 這對父子團隊於1977 年在麥迪遜大道開設了他們的紐約分店，在接下來的45 年裡，藝廊舉辦了大量展覽，向全球各地的博物館和私人收藏家出售作品，最終在上海和香港開設了更多分店。 品相：品相良好，有風化和侵蝕跡象。有缺損、磕損、金屬剝落、土壤結殼，以及顏料殘留。 重量：分別爲473.9克與496.9克 尺寸：分別長48 厘米與51.8 厘米 配木盒，内襯絲綢。(3) 文獻比較： 比較一件相近的西元前五至三世紀銅劍，長41 厘米，收藏於史密森國立亞洲藝術博物館，館藏編號F1979.2。比較一件相近的西元前五至三世紀銅劍，長43 厘米，收藏於史密森國立亞洲藝術博物館，館藏編號F1979.4。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：香港蘇富比，2022年10月6日 價格：HKD 201,600（相當於今日EUR 24,000） 描述：東周至漢公元前三至二世紀青銅劍 專家評論：請注意相似的劍柄扁圓分格。請注意尺寸(65.2 厘米)。

A BRONZE BOWL, LATE EASTERN ZHOU TO HAN DYNASTYChina, 4th century BC to 3rd century AD. Thinly cast with deep rounded sides supported on a short foot and rising to an everted rim, the sides encircled by a raised band with a bowstring interrupted by a distinct pair of taotie mask handles suspending loose rings.Provenance: A noted collection in Paris, France. Tajan, Paris, 10 June 2014, lot 142 (dated to the Han dynasty). Ancienne Collection Particuliere de M. M., Paris, France, acquired from the above. Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Wear, signs of weathering and erosion, corrosion, small dents, minor nicks, light scratches, all as expected for a bronze vessel nearly two thousand years old. The bronze is covered in a rich, naturally grown patina with cuprite and malachite encrustations.Weight: 1,806 g Dimensions: Diameter 27.5 cm, Height 11.8 cm Literature comparison:Compare a closely related bronze vessel, 22.2 cm diameter, dated to the late Eastern Zhou dynasty, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 12.37.147.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's New York, 16 October 2001, lot 169 Price: USD 4,113 or approx. EUR 6,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A bronze high-footed bowl, late Eastern Han dynasty, 3rd century AD Expert remark: Compare the related raised band cast to the exterior with a central bowstring terminating into taotie mask handles which have lost their rings. Note the different foot which is raised. Note the size (25 cm in diameter). 東周末至漢代輔首活環銅洗中國，公元前4世紀至公元3世紀。束口，外壁有弦紋，深弧腹，圈足，兩側各有一個獸面輔首活環。 來源：法國巴黎的著名收藏；巴黎Tajan，2014年 年 6 月 10 日，拍品 142（可追溯到漢朝）；法國巴黎Ancienne Collection Particuliere de M. M.特別收藏，購自上述機構。品相：狀況良好，磨損、風化和侵蝕，有腐蝕、小凹痕、小刻痕、輕微劃痕。青銅表面有一層自然包漿以及紅綠結殼。 重量：1,806 克 尺寸：直徑 27.5 厘米，高 11.8 厘米 文獻比較： 比較一件非常相近的東周末期銅洗，直徑22.2 厘米，收藏於大都會藝術博物館，館藏編號12.37.147。 拍賣結果比較: 形制：相近 拍賣：紐約佳士得，2001年10月16日，lot 169 價格：USD 4,113（相當於今日EUR 6,500） 描繪：三世紀東漢末期高足碗 專家評論：比較相近的外部弦紋，弦紋止於饕餮輔面手柄，但活環已丟失。請注意不同的高足和尺寸(直徑25 厘米)。

A BRONZE OIL LAMP, HAN DYNASTY, EX MICHAEL GOEDHUISChina, 202 BC-220 AD. Finely cast with a circular drip pan with a straight rim and flattened curved handle, supported on a long shaped stem rising from a circular dish with everted rim.Provenance: Michael Goedhuis, London, United Kingdom, 1998. A private collection in France, acquired from the above. A copy of the original invoice, dated 27 September 1998, confirming the dating above and stating a 'special price' for the present lot of FRF 20,000 or approx. EUR 4,500 (converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing), accompanies this lot. Michael Goedhuis trained as an economist, graduating with an MBA from the Courtauld Institute in Art History. He started a successful career in investment banking in New York and London, only to leave it in 1975 to pursue his passion for art. He joined Jacob Rothschild's Colnaghi Oriental Gallery specializing in Persian, Mughal, and Islamic art. It was here that he published a catalog focused entirely on the subject of post-archaic East Asian bronzes, a first in the field, authored by Ulrich Hausmann in 1989. Major collections were curated and sold by Mr. Goedhuis to numerous institutions including The Rothschild Collection to the Shahbanu of Iran, and the Vever Collection to the Smithsonian Institution. He subsequently expanded his activities to India, Japan, and China, concentrating on important antiquities. Today, Mr. Goedhuis continues to exhibit around the world, including in New York and Maastricht.Condition: Excellent condition, commensurate with age. Old wear, losses, nicks, scratches, encrustations, signs of weathering and erosion. The bronze with a rich, naturally grown, solid patina with malachite and azurite encrustations.Weight: 768.9 g Dimensions: Height 11.4 cm, Diameter 15.5 cm Literature comparison:A related bronze lamp was excavated from a Western Han dynasty tomb at Bicun, Hunyuan county, Shanxi province, illustrated in Wenwu, Beijing, 1980, no. 6, pl. 5, fig. 1. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely relatedAuction: Christie's New York, 19 March 2021, lot 808Estimate: USD 6,875 or approx. EUR 7,200 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A bronze oil lamp, Han dynastyExpert remark: Compare the related form and manner of casting. Note the phoenix and tortoise as well as the height (15.2 cm).Auction result comparison: Type: Closely relatedAuction: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 28 July 2022, lot 3026Estimate: HKD 81,900 or approx. EUR 9,900 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A bronze 'dragons' oil lamp, Han dynastyExpert remark: Compare the related form and manner of casting. Note the dragon decoration and the height (15.6 cm). 漢代銅油燈中國，公元前 202 年至公元 220 年。小盤内有一尖頂，一側有扁平弧形手柄。底盤大，支柱有弦紋。來源：英國倫敦Michael Goedhuis，1998 年；法國私人收藏，購自上述機構。隨附原始發票副本，日期為 1998 年 9 月 27 日，確認上述日期，並註明當前拍品的“特別價格"為 20.000 法郎或約 4,500 歐元（根據撰寫本文時的通貨膨脹情況進行換算和調整）。 品相：品相極佳，有磨損、刻痕、劃痕、結殼、風化和侵蝕跡象。油燈有豐富的、自然包漿，有孔雀石和藍銅礦結殼。 重量：768.9 克 尺寸：高 11.4 厘米, 直徑15.5 厘米文獻比較： 一件相近的西漢油燈，出土於山西省渾源縣畢村墓地，見《文物》，北京，1980年，編號6，圖5，圖1。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：紐約佳士得，2021年3月19日，lot 808 估價：USD 6,875（相當於今日EUR 7,200） 描述：漢銅朱雀玄武燈 專家評論：比較相近的外形和鑄造風格。請注意朱雀玄武，以及高(15.2厘米)。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：香港蘇富比，2022年7月28日，lot 3026 估價：HKD 81,900（相當於今日EUR 9,900） 描述：漢青銅龍紋油燈 專家評論：比較相近的外形和鑄造風格。請注意龍紋裝飾和高 (15.6厘米)。由于平台拍品叙述的长度限制，我们移除了中文叙述，完整中文叙述请至www.zacke.at查看

A BRONZE GARLIC-HEAD BOTTLE, SUANTOUHU, HAN DYNASTYChina, 206 BC-220 AD. Finely cast, the compressed globular body raised on a short spreading foot and surmounted by a long waisted neck with a bulbous mouth and tall rim. The recessed base with a raised cross-hatched design. The dark bronze with a rich, naturally grown patina with azurite, malachite, and cuprite encrustations.Provenance: Collection of Anthony Powell, by repute acquired at Christie's London circa 1999. Nicholas Pitcher, London, acquired from the above. Anthony Powell (1935-2021) was a British costume designer who brought deep research to his work in both theater and film. His costume designs for John Gielgud's production of The School for Scandal (1963) earned him a Tony Award. Powell collaborated on movies with Steven Spielberg and Roman Polanski and won three Academy Awards for Best Costume Design, including 1978's Death on the Nile. He was an avid collector of fabrics and trimmings as well as Chinese, Indian, and Southeast Asian works of art.Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age, and as expected with wear, encrustation, minor casting flaws and dents, and a fine naturally grown patina overall.Weight: 1,688 g Dimensions: Height 24.8 cm Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie's London, 15 May 2018, lot 41 Price: GBP 5,000 or approx. EUR 7,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A Bronze Garlic-Head Bottle, Hu, Han Dynasty (3rd Century BC - 2nd Century AD) Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and metal alloy, resulting in a quite similar patina. Note the size (35.6 cm). 漢代銅蒜頭壺中國，西元前 206 年-西元220年。長頸，削肩，圓腹，圈足，瓶口似蒜頭。深青銅色，有包漿並紅藍色結殼。 來源：英國倫敦Anthony Powell收藏，據説購於倫敦佳士得，約1999年；倫敦Nicholas Pitcher購於上述收藏。Anthony Powell (1935-2021年年) 是一位英國服裝設計師，他對戲劇和電影作品進行了深入研究。他為 John Gielgud 製作的The School for Scandal(醜聞學校 ,1963) 設計的服裝為他贏得了托尼獎。Powell與史蒂文斯皮爾伯格和羅曼波蘭斯基合作拍攝電影，並獲得三項奧斯卡最佳服裝設計獎，包括 1978 年的《尼羅河之死》。他熱衷於收藏織物和飾物以及中國、印度和東南亞的藝術品。 品相：狀況良好，有磨損、結殼、輕微鑄造缺陷和凹痕，通體有精美的自然包漿。 重量：1,688 克 尺寸：高 24.8 釐米 拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：倫敦佳士得，2018年5月15日，lot 41 價格：GBP 5,000（相當於今日EUR 7,500） 描述：漢青銅蒜頭壺 專家評論：比較非常相近的外形、金屬合金，相似包漿。請注意尺寸 (35.6 釐米)。

A BRONZE 'HILL' CENSER AND COVER, BOSHANLU, HAN DYNASTYChina, 206 BC-220 AD. Raised on a stem foot with an openwork foliate motif against a cross-hatched ground. The conical cover is cast in openwork as a mountain range. The bronze covered overall with a rich and naturally grown patina with malachite and cuprite encrustations.Provenance: From a private collection in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA.Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, traces of use to the interior, signs of weathering and erosion with associated few losses, encrustations, minor nicks, light scratches.Weight: 128.1 gDimensions: Height 10.4 cm The cover of this hill censer depicts the mystical overlapping peaks of Mount Peng, regarded in Han dynasty Daoist tradition as a paradise realm for the spirits of immortals.Literature comparison:Compare a closely related bronze boshanlu, 11 cm high, dated to the Han dynasty, in the British Museum, registration number 1936,1118.52. Compare a related bronze boshanlu, 18.4 cm high, dated to the Western Han dynasty, in the Cleveland Museum of Art, accession number 1986.46.Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Christie's London, 10 November 2015, lot 3Price: GBP 30,000 or approx. EUR 50,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A bronze 'hill' censer and cover, boshanlu, Han dynastyExpert remark: Note the size (23.8 cm).Auction result comparison: Type: RelatedAuction: Christie's New York, 17 March 2016, lot 1157Price: USD 47,500 or approx. EUR 56,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A bronze 'hill' censer and cover, boshanlu, Han dynastyExpert remark: Note the size (18.1 cm). 漢代銅博山爐中國，西元前206年至西元220年。器呈豆形，蓋是鏤空的起伏山巒，有雲氣紋填充於山巒之間。銅爐整體覆蓋著自然包漿，上面有著綠色和紅色結殼。 來源：美國北卡羅萊納州蘿利市私人收藏。 品相：狀態良好，嚴重磨損，內部有使用痕跡、風化和侵蝕跡像，以及小缺損、結殼、輕微刻痕和劃痕。 重量：128.1 克 尺寸：高 10.4 釐米 “博山爐"一名是根據秦漢時的傳說："東方海上有蓬萊、方丈、瀛洲三座仙山"，這三座仙山即為「博山」之意。 文獻比較： 比較一件非常相近的漢代博山爐，高11 厘米，收藏於大英博物館，館藏編號1936,1118.52。比較一件相近的西漢博山爐，高18.4 厘米，收藏於克利夫蘭藝術博物館，館藏編號1986.46。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：倫敦佳士得，2015年11月10日，lot 3 價格：GBP 30,000（相當於今日EUR 50,000） 描述：漢代博山青銅爐蓋 專家評論：請注意尺寸(23.8 厘米)。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：紐約佳士得，2016年3月17日，lot 1157 價格：USD 47,500（相當於今日EUR 56,500） 描述：漢銅博山爐 專家評論：請注意尺寸(18.1 厘米)。

A GILT-BRONZE 'TORTOISE' WEIGHT, HAN DYNASTYChina, 202 BC-220 AD. Boldly cast, the tortoise raises its head, looking up, and curls its tail to one side. The carapace is cast with three notable ridges and the feet with four toes, giving the tortoise a naturalistic form.Provenance: P.C. Lu Works of Art Ltd, Hong Kong. From a private collection in the northeastern United States, acquired from the above. Started as a small business in January 1976 in Hong Kong, selling Chinese antiques, P.C. Lu was able to scale operations, eventually sending his son Fred to the MIT to pursue his PhD. Today, many objects from his fine collection are housed in the British Museum. Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age, with wear, dents, losses, signs of weathering and erosion, the gilt mostly worn away, encrustations, and rubbing. The bronze has a fine, naturally grown patina with malachite and cuprite encrustations.Weight: 110.9 g Dimensions: Length 5.7 cm The tortoise is one of the Four Fabulous Animals, the most prominent beasts of China. They govern the four points of the compass, with the Black Tortoise as the ruler of the north, symbolizing endurance, strength, and longevity. The tortoise and the tiger are the only animals of the four who are not purely mythical. The tortoise is sometimes depicted with supernatural features such as dragon ears, flaming tentacles, and a long hairy tail. The Chinese Imperial Army carried flags with images of dragons and tortoises as symbols of power.Literature comparison: Compare a related bronze figure of a tortoise, dated to the Han dynasty, in the British Museum, registration number 1947,0712.387. Compare a related bronze turtle-shaped weight, 10.1 cm long, dated to the Han dynasty, in the British Museum, registration number 1938,0524.577.Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 19 January 2023, lot 3044Price: HKD 504,000 or approx. EUR 59,000 converted at the time of writingDescription: A set of four bronze 'tortoise' weights, Han dynastyExpert remark: Note this lot is comprised of four tortoise weights. Note the similar wear and style of incised feet. Note the size (6 cm). 漢代鎏金銅烏龜鎮紙中國，西元前202年-西元220年。烏龜抬起頭，向上看去，尾巴向一側捲曲，腳上有四個腳趾，十分形象生動。 來源：香港P.C. Lu Works of Art Ltd藝術公司；美國東北部私人收藏購於上述公司。P.C. Lu 藝術公司於1976 年 1 月在香港成立，最初是一家銷售中國古董的小企業，後來擴大運營規模，最終將他的兒子Fred送到麻省理工學院攻讀博士學位。 如今，他的許多精美收藏品都收藏在大英博物館中。 品相：狀況良好，有磨損、凹痕、缺損、風化和侵蝕的跡象，鎏金大面積磨損、結殼和摩擦。有自然包漿和紅綠色結殼。 重量：110.9 克 尺寸：長 5.7 釐米 龜，即玄武，是中國四大神獸之一，統治北方，象徵著毅力、力量和長壽。 烏龜和老虎是這四種動物中唯一不是神話動物。龜有時被描繪成具有超自然特徵，如龍耳、火焰爪和長毛尾巴。文獻比較： 比較一件相近的漢代青銅烏龜鎮紙，收藏於大英博物館，館藏編號1947,0712.387。比較一件相近的漢代青銅烏龜鎮紙，長10.1 釐米，收藏於大英博物館，館藏編號1938,0524.577。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：香港蘇富比，2023年1月19日，lot 3044 價格：HKD 504,000（相當於今日EUR 59,000） 描述：漢青銅龜形鎮紙一組四件 專家評論：請注意此為四件烏龜鎮紙。請注意相近的磨損和足部雕刻、尺寸 (6 釐米)。

A GILT-BRONZE VOTIVE PLAQUE DEPICTING THE MAITREYA, JIN DYNASTY, CHINA, 5TH CENTURYScientific Analysis Reports: 1.A technical examination was conducted by Podany Conservation Services, USA. The examination report concludes: “The characteristics observed by visual examination only of the corrosion patina and the encrustation, as well as the relationship between them and the base metal, as well as the remains of gilding and pigment suggest that the object is ancient." A copy of the signed examination report, dated 15 May 2021, accompanies this lot. 2.A scientific and technical examination was conducted by John Twilley, art conservation scientist. The report concludes that “The results of these tests show that the disk retains its as-cast microstructure and consists of a simple leaded tin bronze…Considering two likely origins, Korea or China, Buddhist sculptures from Korea have been noted to often be cast from unalloyed copper or leaded copper with minimal tin content, making a Korean origin somewhat less likely for the disk." A copy of the examination report, dated 29 December 2021, accompanies this lot. 3.An expert report was conducted by Antiques Analytics at the Institute for Scientific Authenticity Testing, Professor Robert Neunteufel. The examination concluded, “The results of the metal analysis are not in contradiction to a manufacture within the 5th" A signed copy of the report, dated 19 May 2023, accompanies this lot.The circular plaque is molded with a central Buddha Maitreya, seated on a lotus in dhyanasana with his hands raised in the abhayamudra and flanked by a flaming mandorla. The robed buddha is surrounded by a pair of acolytes at his feet, bodhisattva to his left and right, and two apsara flying above him. The surrounding figures are accompanied by two small rosettes and scrolling clouds. The remnants of three iron nail heads remain along the rim of the plaque.Provenance: From the private collection of Michael Phillips. Michael Phillips (born 1943) is an Academy Award-winning film producer. Born in Brooklyn, New York, his parents were Lawrence and Shirley Phillips, noted New York dealers in Asian fine arts, selling to the Met, the LACMA, the Chicago Art Institute, and the British Museum among others. Michael Phillips is a collector of Asian art himself, particularly Indian, Southeast Asian, and Himalayan sculpture. His most important films include The Sting (winning the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1973), Taxi Driver (winning the Palme d'Or at the 1976 Cannes Film Festival), and Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind.Condition: Very good condition, commensurate with age. Expected signs of weathering and erosion, soiling, flaking, dents, losses from corrosion, casting irregularities, remnants of red pigment, and loss to the gilding. The naturally grown patina has vibrant malachite and cuprite encrustations.Weight: 5,030 gDimension: Diameter 41.3 cmMaitreya, also known as the Buddha of the Future, may be considered as a Bodhisattva according to the sutras, or a Buddha according to the tantras. In Tibet, when represented as a Bodhisattva, he may be depicted standing or seated in European style with the feet resting on a small lotus throne, as in the present lot. The princely seated appearance of the figure, as in the present lot, is one of the most popular manifestations of Maitreya.Merchants trading in Silk Road goods, South and Central Asian Buddhist proselytizers, and pilgrims who had traveled to India to study Buddhism at its source brought countless paintings, scriptures, and small bronze sculptures and plaques to China and Tibet. These later served as the inspirations for works commissioned by local patrons. Few early Chinese and Tibetan bronze plaques survive, as later generations melted them down to make coins, weapons, or new icons.Literature comparison:Compare a closely related plaque depicting Maitreya surrounded by acolytes, bodhisattva, and apsaras, 17.2 cm high, dated to 460 AD through an inscription left by the devotee Faliang, in the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, accession number B60B643. Compare a later related plaque depicting Maitreya similarly surrounded by acolytes, bodhisattva, and apsaras, 15.2 cm high, dated to the Sui dynasty (518-618), in the Harvard Art Museums, accession number 1943.53.74.13% VAT will be added to the hammer price additional to the buyer's premium - only for buyers within the EU. 晉代銅鎏金彌勒佛鎏金銅許願牌由于平台拍品叙述的长度限制，我们移除了中文叙述，完整中文叙述请至www.zacke.at查看

A PARCEL-GILT AND SILVERED COPPER-ALLOY REPOUSSE COMB TOP, TANG DYNASTYChina, 618-907. The gilt upper section of the comb is decorated in repousse with stylized birds of paradise flying amidst blossoms reserved in a ring-punched ground with floral medallions. The copper-alloy has a fine, naturally grown patina with malachite, cuprite, and azurite encrustations.Provenance P.C. Lu Works of Art Ltd, Hong Kong. From a private collection in the northeastern United States, acquired from the above. Started as a small business in January 1976 in Hong Kong, selling Chinese antiques, P.C. Lu was able to scale operations, eventually sending his son Fred to the MIT to pursue his PhD. Today, many objects from his fine collection are housed in the British Museum.Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age, with wear, expected signs of oxidization, minor corrosion, rubbing to the gilt, and a few small losses and dents.Weight: 20.6 g Dimensions: Length 12.7 cm Literature comparison:Three related combs in the Idemitsu Museum of Arts, Tokyo, are illustrated in Ancient Chinese Arts in The Idemitsu Collection, Tokyo, 1989, pl. 337. Compare a related bronze comb with a similar bird motif, dated to the Tang dynasty, in the British Museum, registration number 1938,0524.284.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's 12 September 2019, lot 564 Price: USD 20,000 or approx. EUR 22,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A parcel-gilt silver comb, Tang dynasty Expert remark: Note the related motif, displaying two birds flying amid floral branches. Note the size (9.3 cm). 唐代鎏金銀錘鍱銅梳柄中國，618-907年。採用錘鍱工藝，串珠紋、鳳穿牡丹等圖案，局部鎏金銀，自然包漿，已出現藍紅色結殼。 來源：香港P.C. Lu Works of Art Ltd藝術公司；美國東北部私人收藏購於上述公司。P.C. Lu 藝術公司於1976 年 1 月在香港成立，最初是一家銷售中國古董的小企業，後來擴大運營規模，最終將他的兒子Fred送到麻省理工學院攻讀博士學位。 如今，他的許多精美收藏品都收藏在大英博物館中。 品相：狀況良好，有磨損、氧化跡象、輕微腐蝕、鎏金摩擦，以及一些小缺損失和凹痕。 重量：20.6 克 尺寸：長 12.7 釐米 文獻比較： 三件相近的梳子，收藏於出光美術館，見《Ancient Chinese Arts in The Idemitsu Collection》，東京，1989年，圖337。比較一件相近的唐代鳥紋青銅梳，收藏於大英博物館，館藏編號1938,0524.284。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：佳士得，2019年9月12日，lot 564 價格：USD 20,000（相當於今日EUR 22,000） 描述：唐銀局部鎏金錘鍱花鳥紋篦 專家評論：請注意相近的主題，雕刻有兩隻鳥兒在花枝間飛翔。請注意尺寸 (9.3 釐米)。

A SILVERY BRONZE SQUARE 'LION AND GRAPEVINE' MIRROR, TANG DYNASTYChina. 618-907. The central lion-shaped knob surrounded by lions with raised heads frolicking amidst grapevine, within a raised circular border and an outer field where birds are shown amidst further grapevine in each corner. The outer border with a raised rim and slightly flared sides which are decorated with scrolling designs.Provenance: From a private collection in West Yorkshire, United Kingdom, formed in the 1970s and 1980s. Condition: Excellent condition, commensurate with age. Wear, signs of weathering and erosion, corrosion, tiny nicks and losses. The silvery bronze with a solid, naturally grown patina showing distinct malachite and soil encrustations as well scattered dark specks and faint hues of cuprite.Weight: 779.9 g (excl. stand) and 1,360 g (incl. stand) Dimensions: Length 14.4 cm With a fitted metal stand. (2)Literature comparison:Compare a related silvered bronze mirror, 9 x 9 cm, dated to the Tang dynasty, exhibited in Ancient Chinese and Ordos Bronzes, Oriental Ceramic Society of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1990, cat. no. 180.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie's New York, 18 March 2009, lot 241 Price: USD 17,500 or approx. EUR 23,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A silvery bronze square lion and grapevine mirror, Tang dynasty Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, manner of casting, and motif. Note the square border encircling the central motif and the smaller size (11.6 cm).Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's New York, 22 March 2012, lot 1443 Price: USD 47,500 or approx. EUR 58,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A small bronze square 'lion and grapevine' mirror, Tang dynasty Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, manner of casting, and motif. Note the square border encircling the central motif and the much smaller size (9.2 cm). 唐代海獸葡萄紋鎏銀銅鏡中國，618-907年。方鏡，背面中央高浮雕，臥獅鈕，四周環繞著海獸和葡萄藤，外場有神鳥與葡萄藤和葡萄串，卷葉紋。 來源：英國西約克郡的私人收藏，形成於 二十世紀七十年代和八十年代。品相：狀態極佳，有磨損、風化和侵蝕和微小刻痕、缺損，青銅具有堅固的自然包漿，有土壤結殼，以及分散的黑色斑點和淡淡的赤銅礦色調。 重量：779.9 克 (不含底座) ，1,360 克 (含底座) 尺寸：長 14.4 厘米 金屬支架 (2) 文獻比較： 比較一件相近的唐代八世紀狻猊葡萄方鏡，9 x 9厘米，展覽於《Ancient Chinese and Ordos Bronzes，Oriental Ceramic Society of Hong Kong》，香港藝術博物館，香港，1990年，圖錄編號180。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：紐約佳士得，2009年3月18日，lot 241 價格：USD 17,500（相當於今日EUR 23,000） 描述：唐代鎏銀獅和葡萄銅方鏡 專家評論：比較非常相近的外形、鑄造風格和主題。請注意方形邊框環繞中央，以及尺寸較小(11.6厘米)。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：紐約佳士得，2012年3月22日，lot 1443 價格：USD 47,500（相當於今日EUR 58,500） 描述：唐海獸葡萄紋方銅鏡 專家評論：比較非常相近的外形、鑄造風格和主題。請注意方形邊框環繞中央，以及尺寸較小(9.2厘米)。

A BRONZE POURING VESSEL, YI, LATE SONG - EARLY MING DYNASTYChina, 12th-15th century. The deep rounded sides supported on four feet cast with archaistic scroll, the gently rising spout extending to a narrow U-shaped mouth, the handle in the form of a two-horned dragon with spiked mane and coiled tail. The body carved to the side with three elegantly curved grooves below a leiwen band. The interior with a three-character inscription.Inscriptions: To the interior, 'Zhai […]'.Provenance: Galerie M. Michel Beurdeley, Paris, France. Old French private collection, acquired from the above in the 1950s/1960s, and thence by descent in the same family. Established in 1817 by Jean Beurdeley (1771-1853) as a shop selling curiosities, Galerie Beurdeley rose to prominence under his grandson Alfred-Emmanuel-Louis Beurdeley (1847-1919) as the most important Chinese art gallery in Paris. After World War II, the gallery was run by Michel Beurdeley (1911-2012). In the early 1970s, his son Jean-Michel Beurdeley took over operations of the gallery for the next three decades before eventually moving to Thailand in 2001. Jean-Michel is a co-founder of MAIIAM Contemporary Art Museum in Chiang Mai and sponsor of the Patsri Bunnag Foundation. He was honored with the French title Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2007 and promoted to Officier in 2018.Condition: Good condition with expected old wear, weathering, minor corrosion and casting irregularities. Tiny nicks, light scratches, small dents and fine cracks. The bronze with a rich, naturally grown patina with distinct malachite and cuprite encrustations. Overall displaying exceptionally well.Weight: 1,581 gDimensions: Width 28.5 cm Bronze yi emerged as a ritual vessel form during the late Western Zhou period and continued in popularity until the Warring States period. The function of yi has been documented since the earliest stages of Chinese history. Yi were used together with water basins, pan, in ritual ceremonies to cleanse hands. It was stipulated in one of the ancient Chinese classics, the Book of Rites (Liji), that an elder would pour water from the yi for the ritual performers to wash their hands before proceeding with sacred rites, and the clan's junior member would concurrently carry a pan to collect the water. Yi had been a tangible symbol reflecting the ritual etiquette of royalty and the nobility during the Zhou dynasty.Bronze yi, in addition to serving as water implements during ritual ceremonies, also functioned as wine vessels in the Eastern Zhou dynasty. According to the inscription of the Spring and Autumn period Lu Da Si Tu Yuan Yi, discovered in Qufu county during the Republic period, currently preserved in the Shandong Museum, Jinan, the vessel is identified as a 'drinking vessel' (see Zhu Fenghan, Zhongguo qingtongqi zonglun [A Comprehensive Survey of Chinese Bronzes], vol. 1, Shanghai, 2009, p. 288).Literature comparison:Compare to a related archaic bronze yi of this from in the Palace Museum, illustrated in Bronzes in the Palace Museum, Beijing, 1999, p. 219, pl. 211. Compare a related pouring vessel (yi), dated 9th-8th century BC, in the Saint Louis Art Museum, object number 111:2014. For another prototype, see an archaic bronze ritual pouring vessel (yi), dated to the late Western Zhou dynasty, at Sotheby's New York, 22 March 2023, lot 618.Auction result comparison: Type: Near Identical Auction: Bonhams London, 6 November 2008, lot 311 Estimate: GBP 2,500 or approx. EUR 4,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A finely cast archaistic bronze wine vessel, yi, Song dynasty Expert remark: Compare the near identical form and decoration. Note the closely related size (29 cm).Auction result comparison: Type: Near Identical Auction: Sotheby's New York, 18 March 2014, lot 257 Estimate: USD 6,000 or approx. EUR 7,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A Bronze Pouring Vessel (Yi), Ming Dynasty Expert remark: Compare the near identical form and decoration. Note that this Yi has severe condition issues, unlike the present lot. 宋末至明初青銅匜中國，十二至十五世紀。器身如橢圓形瓢，前端寬流高高昂起，後端執鋬作蛟龍探水狀，匜的四獸足，曲體承載匜的器身,極其穩健。口沿下一周雲紋，之下三道弦紋。 款識: 匜内“齋 […]" 來源：法國巴黎Michel Beurdeley藝廊；法國私人收藏，於 二十世紀五十年代/六十年代從上述藝廊購得，並同一家族傳承。 品相：狀況良好，有磨損、風化、輕微腐蝕和鑄造不規則性，微小刻痕、輕微的劃痕、小凹痕和細裂紋。青銅有豐富的自然包漿，具有獨特的紅綠色結殼。 重量：1,581 克 尺寸：寬 28.5 厘米 拍賣結果比較： 形制：幾乎相同 拍賣：紐約蘇富比，2014年3月18日，lot 257 估價：USD 6,000（相當於今日EUR 7,000） 描述：明銅竊曲紋龍鋬匜 專家評論：比較幾乎相同的外形和裝飾。請注意此匜品相不佳。 由于平台拍品叙述的长度限制，我们移除了中文叙述，完整中文叙述请至www.zacke.at查看

A PAIR OF HEAVY BRONZE FIGURES OF QILIN, MING DYNASTYChina, 1368-1644. Boldly cast with animated proportions, the heads of the qilins glance over their shoulders towards their upswept tails while striding forward. The beasts with neatly incised scales, spiky manes and brows, and wavy hair as well as crenulated spines.Provenance: Austrian trade, by repute from an old Viennese private estate.Condition: Good condition with minor wear and casting flaws. Signs of weathering, encrustations, small nicks and losses, light scratches, one tail with traces of soldering. Rich, dark, naturally grown patina with scattered malachite encrustations. The wood stands with old wear, age cracks and minor losses.Weight: 3.8 kg and 3.5 kgDimensions: Length 27 cm and 30.5 cm Each figure with an associated fitted wood stand. (4)Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Christie's New York, 17 September 2010, lot 1025Price: USD 13,750 or approx. EUR 18,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: An archaistic bronze figure of a qilin, Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644Expert remark: Note the length (18.4 cm).Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Christie's Paris, 22 June 2016, lot 348Price: EUR 5,000 or approx. EUR 5,900 adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A pair of bronze figures of qilin, Ming dynasty, 1368-1644Expert remark: Note the size (21 cm). 明代一對麒麟銅像中國，1368-1644年。麒麟頭部向身體側面扭轉，四足挺立；頭頂生獨角，張嘴露齒，身形矯健，背脊、脅下筋骨畢現，頸部、四肢毛髮披散，長尾搭於身後。鑄造工藝精細，麒麟毛髮、項圈施刀鏨刻細節，通身瑩潤光亮。來源：奧地利古玩交易，據説購於維亞納一個私人舊藏。 品相：狀況良好，有輕微磨損和鑄造缺陷，有風化跡象、結殼、小缺口和輕微劃痕，一根尾部有焊接痕跡。豐富的深色包漿，散佈著綠色結殼。木底座有磨損、老化裂紋和輕微損失。重量：分別爲3.8 公斤與3.5 公斤 尺寸：分別長27 釐米與30.5 釐米 分別有配套的木底座 (4) 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：紐約佳士得，2010年9月17日，lot 1025 價格：USD 13,750（相當於今日EUR 18,000） 描述：1368-1644年明代仿古麒麟銅像 專家評論：請注意長(18.4 釐米)。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：巴黎佳士得，2016年6月22日，lot 348 價格：EUR 5,000（相當於今日EUR 5,900） 描述：1368-1644年明代一對麒麟銅像 專家評論：請注意尺寸(21 釐米)。

A PARCEL-GILT BRONZE TOOL VASE BY HU WENMING, MING DYNASTYChina, 17th century. Of cylindrical form with a waisted neck and base, supported on a flat circular foot, cast and chased around the body and neck with auspicious Buddhist symbols against a ring-punched ground, the foot and galleried rim with leiwen bands. The base with the four-character maker's mark neatly incised.Inscriptions: To the base, 'Hu Wenming zhi'.Provenance: French trade. By repute acquired from an old private estate in Cannes, France.Condition: Very good condition with old wear as expected, the gilt quite well-preserved, some minor casting irregularities, few small dents, minuscule nicks, occasional light scratches. Weight: 267 g Dimensions: Height 10.3 cm Hu Wenming is one of the most renowned metalworkers in Chinese history and one of the few whose name and style are discussed in Chinese art-historical writing. Most of the works attributed to Hu Wenming are scholarly objects, such as incense burners and brush pots, characterized by densely worked backgrounds covered with detailed naturalistic and other motifs cast in high relief.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 7 April 2014, lot 202 Price: HKD 175,000 or approx. EUR 25,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A parcel-gilt bronze 'butterflies and flowers' incense-tool vase by Hu Wenming, Ming dynasty, 17th centuryExpert remark: Compare the closely related form, parcel-gilding, and relief decoration.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely relatedAuction: Sotheby's Paris, 15 December 2016, lot 171Price: EUR 32,500 or approx. EUR 38,500 adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: Two small partially gilt bronze vases Ming Dynasty, 17th centuryExpert remark: Compare the closely related form, parcel-gilding, and relief decoration. Note that this lot comprises two tool vases, one of which is also decorated with auspicious symbols. 明代胡文明款包金銅瓶中國，十七世紀。盤口，短直頸，圓折肩，圓筒狀長腹，圈足，底部平切式二層台。頸部和瓶身刻有吉祥的佛教符號，足部飾有雷文帶。圈足上刻有工整的四字款。 款識：胡文明製 來源：法國古玩交易，據説購於坎城私人舊藏。 品相：狀況極好，有磨損，包金保存得很好，有一些輕微的鑄造不規則，一些小凹痕，微小的刻痕和劃痕。 重量：267 克 尺寸：高 10.3 釐米 胡文明是中國歷史上最著名的鑄銅工藝名匠，最擅長鑄造銅爐，並能按古式製造彝、鼎、尊、卣之類的銅器極精，時稱“胡爐"或“胡銅"。胡文明的大部分作品都是文人用具，如香爐和筆筒，其特點是佈景嚴密，體現自然主義。拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：香港蘇富比，2014年4月7日，lot 202 價格：HKD 175,000（相當於今日EUR 25,500） 描述：明十七世紀局部鎏金銅「蝶戀花」小瓶《胡文明製》款 專家評論：比較非常相近的外形、局部鎏金和浮雕。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：巴黎蘇富比，2016年12月15日，lot 171 價格：EUR 32,500（相當於今日EUR 38,500） 描述：明十七世紀局部鎏金銅花卉圖小瓶及局部鎏金銅博古圖小瓶 一件 :《胡文明製》款 專家評論：比較非常相近的外形、局部鎏金和浮雕。請注意此為兩個瓶，其中一件還飾有吉祥符號。

A BRONZE FIGURE OF THE INFANT BUDDHA, MING DYNASTYChina, 16th to early 17th century. Heavily cast standing atop a dais supported on a base, each with lotus petal design and beaded rim, the infant Buddha with his left arm pointing at the heavens and his right arm pendant at his side pointing at the earth. The boy naked except for the crisply cast loincloth wrapped around his belly, the face with a gentle smiling expression. The bronze with a fine, smooth, naturally grown patina with malachite encrustation.Provenance: From a German private collection.Condition: Very good condition with minor old wear and casting irregularities, few dents, minor losses.Weight: 549.6 gDimensions: Height 14.7 cm Expert's note: This representation of the standing, newborn Shakyamuni pointing to the sky with his left index finger, and to the ground with his right index finger, is described in Asvaghosa's Life of Buddha, translated by Samuel Beal, Sacred Books of the East, vol. XIX, Oxford, 1883, page 226: “Upright and firm and unconfused in mind, he deliberately took seven steps...he spoke thus with the fullest assurance: This birth is in the condition of a Buddha. After this I have done with renewed birth: now only am I born this once, for the purpose of saving all the world".Literature comparison: A larger gilt-bronze figure of the Infant Buddha dated 1624 was included in the Catalogue of the exhibition The Crucible of Compassion and Wisdom, National Palace Museum, 1987, p. 213, pl. 116.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Bonhams San Francisco, 16 December 2014, lot 8023Price: USD 5,000 or approx. EUR 6,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A cast bronze figure of the infant Buddha, 17th centuryExpert remark: Compare the closely related pose and manner of casting. Note the size (18.4 cm). 明代銅釋迦牟尼誕生像中國，十六至十七世紀。此像跣足站立於仰式蓮花座上。立像塑作嬰孩身形，光頭大耳，杏眼微張，雙目前視，鼻樑高挺，嘴角上仰，流露笑意，肅穆沉靜中見靈氣逸然。造像左臂彎曲向上抬起，左手豎指作威懾印，右臂自然下垂，右手下指呈駐法印。銅像包漿厚重。 來源：德國私人收藏。 品相：狀況極好，有輕微的磨損和鑄造不規則，幾乎沒有凹痕，有輕微缺損。 重量：549.6 克 尺寸：高14.7 釐米 專家注釋：佛經稱，悉達多太子降生後走了七步，步步生蓮花，隨後一手指天，一手指地說道：“天上地下，唯我獨尊"，這是釋迦牟尼普度眾生發出的莊嚴宣言。誕生像即來源於此傳說。相關翻譯可見Samuel Beal，《Sacred Books of the East》，卷XIX ，牛津 ，1883年，頁226。 文獻比較： 一尊較大1624年的鎏金佛童佛像，收錄於國立故宮博物院，《慈悲智慧之坩堝》，1987年，頁213，圖116。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：舊金山邦瀚斯，2014年12月16日，lot 8023 價格：USD 5,000（相當於今日EUR 6,000） 描述：十七世紀佛童銅像 專家評論：比較非常相近的姿勢和鑄造風格。請注意尺寸(18.4厘米)。

A GILT-BRONZE 'XINIU' WEIGHT, MING DYNASTYChina, 1368-1644. Finely cast, the legendary beast seated in a recumbent position with its head turned back over its body. The tail of the creature flicked across its haunches as its hooved feet are tucked up underneath it. The hair of the xiniu's mane flowing down the back of its neck parallel to its single horn. The eyes, ears, nose, and mouth are detailed in bold lines, and the ribs are indicated by a series of deep striations.Provenance: Collection of Maria and Johannes Nickl, thence by descent in the same family. Maria (1926-2022) and Johannes Nickl (d. 2020) lived in Vienna, Austria, and were ardent collectors of Asian, Buddhist, and Egyptian works of art. They were highly active in Vienna's tightknit Asian art trade and assembled most of their collection during the 1980s and 1990s, frequently buying from Galerie Zacke and later Galerie Asboth. The couple were also noted museum patrons and their names are still found on the Ehrentafel ('Roll of Honor') of the Egyptian and Near Eastern Collection at the Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien (Museum of Fine Arts Vienna) today.Condition: Good condition with some casting flaws. Small nicks, light scratches, minor dents. Expected signs of weathering. Patches of fine patina with extensive wear to the gilding, small spots of cuprite and malachite encrustation.Weight: 162 gDimensions: Length 5.4 cm Animal-form weights have been used since antiquity, with numerous examples surviving from the Han dynasty, from which they continued to be essential for scholars in subsequent periods. The Guyu Tu, found in the Illustrated Compendium of Ancient Jades, notes that Zhao Mengfu once bought an ancient jade bixie for use as a paperweight, indicating that scholars would sometimes appropriate favorite antiquities to serve this utilitarian function. The Xuande period in particular witnessed a renewed interest in bronze wares for the scholar's desk, including bronze animal-form weights such as the present lot. The xiniu is a legendary Chinese animal. In ancient Chinese texts, the term xiniu originally meant rhinoceros. In later periods, the creature became increasingly mythologized after the rhinoceros was extinct in post-archaic China. By the Song dynasty, it had become a beast of legend, known only through literary references.Literature comparison: For a Xuande mark and period mythical beast-form weight from the Xiaogushan Guan Studio Collection, see Rochers de Lettres, Itineraires de l'Art en Chine, Musee des Arts Asiatiques Guimet, Paris, 2012, cat. no. 58. Two weights, one cast as a scaly mythical beast and another of leonine form, were included in the exhibition Arts from the Scholar's Studio, Fung Ping Shan Museum, Hong Kong, 1986, cat. nos 194 and 195. See a comparable example in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, illustrated by Rose Kerr, Later Chinese Bronzes, London, 1990, p.101, no. 87.Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Bonhams Hong Kong, 26 May 2013, lot 372Price: HKD 56,250 or approx. EUR 8,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A gilt-bronze 'tianlu' paperweight, late Ming/early Qing dynastyExcerpt: Compare the size (5.6 cm).Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Sotheby's New York, 18 March 2014, lot 254Price: USD 16,250 or approx. EUR 19,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A gilt-bronze lion-form paper weight, Ming dynastyExpert remark: Observe the similar wear, recumbent pose, and ribs. 明代銅鎏金犀牛鎮紙中國，1368-1644年。銅製犀牛，轉首仰視，四腿臥於身下，鬃毛細長，披撒在頸兩側，周身鎏金，雄健之神態自然流露。此器形態意趣憨樸，法度古拙。 來源：Maria 與Johannes Nickl收藏，在同一家族保存至今。Maria (1926-2022) 與 Johannes Nickl (d.2020年) 住在奧地利維也納，是亞洲、佛教和埃及藝術品的熱心收藏家。他們在維也納的亞洲藝術貿易中非常活躍，並在 1980 年代和 90 年代收集了大部分藏品，經常從 Zacke 藝廊和後來的 Asboth藝廊購買。這對夫婦也是著名的博物館贊助人，他們的名字至今仍出現在維也納藝術史博物館（維也納美術博物館）埃及和近東藏品的榮譽榜上。 品相：品相良好，有一些鑄造缺陷，小嗑損、輕微劃痕、輕微凹痕，有風化跡象。鎏金大面積磨損，包漿細膩，紅褐色藍綠色結殼。 重量：162 克 尺寸：長 5.4 厘米由于平台拍品叙述的长度限制，我们移除了中文叙述，完整中文叙述请至www.zacke.at查看

A BRONZE 'BUDDHIST LION' SCROLL WEIGHT, LATE MING DYNASTYChina, 16th-17th century. Well cast, the recumbent animal seated curling towards its tail, its face with a fierce expression, the eyes wide and bulging, the mouth agape showing sharp fangs, the muscular lion's legs tucked to the side with the neatly incised mane flowing down its back. The bronze with a rich, naturally grown, dark patina.Provenance: From an Irish private collection.Condition: Very good condition with expected old wear and casting irregularities, small nicks and light scratches.Weight: 255.8 gDimensions: Length 6.7 cm Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's London, 8 November 2013, lot 1434 Price: GBP 8,750 or approx. EUR 15,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A bronze 'Buddhist lion' scroll weight, Ming dynasty Expert remark: Compare the related pose, incision work, manner of casting, and dark patina. Note the size (8.4 cm).Auction result comparison:Type: Related Auction: Bonhams London, 9 May 2022, lot 280 Price: GBP 43,140 or approx. EUR 56,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A bronze 'Buddhist lion' scroll weight, 17th centuryExpert remark: Compare the related manner of casting and dark patina. Note the larger size (15 cm). 明末太獅銅鎮中國，十六至十七世紀。太獅伏身昂首向後，狀貌溫馴，嶙峋有致，大眼圓睜，張牙咧嘴。該鎮紙立體圓雕，大小適中，敦厚貴重。包漿豐富細膩。來源：愛爾蘭私人收藏。 品相：狀況極好，有磨損和鑄造不規則、小刻痕和輕微劃痕。 重量：255.8 克 尺寸：長6.7 厘米 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：倫敦佳士得，2013年11月8日，lot 1434 價格：GBP 8,750（相當於今日EUR 15,500） 描述：明代太獅銅紙鎮 專家評論：比較相近的姿勢、雕刻、鑄造風格和包漿。請注意尺寸(8.4 厘米)。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：倫敦邦翰斯，2022年5月9日，lot 280 價格：GBP 43,140（相當於今日EUR 56,000） 描述：十七世紀太獅銅紙鎮 專家評論：比較相近的鑄造風格和深色包漿。請注意尺寸較大 (15 厘米)。

A SILVER-INLAID BRONZE FIGURE OF A TORTOISE AND YOUNG, ATTRIBUTED TO SHISOU, LATE MING DYNASTYChina, 17th century. Well cast as a mother tortoise standing foursquare and lifting its head as its young clambers on her back. Both with their carapaces finely inlaid with silver wire, the mother's deeply incised as well, their faces neatly detailed. Provenance: From a private French collection in Bordeaux. Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and casting irregularities, few small nicks, light scratches, minor losses to inlays. Fine, naturally grown patina overall.Weight: 365.7 g Dimensions: Length 10.4 cm Little is known about the historical figure Shisou. The earliest reference in the Zhongguo meishujia renming cidian ('Dictionary of Chinese Artists') comes from the Luochuang xiaodu and is presumably from the same source as published in Zhongguo yishujia zhenglue ('Brief Introduction of Chinese Artists'). Shisou is listed there only as a late Ming dynasty monk without any further biographical information. A number of vessels and sculptures from the seventeenth to the nineteenth century bear his name, sometimes in combination with a hall name, Jinyu tang ('Hall of Prosperity'). Although the present piece is unsigned, the high quality of the casting and fine silver-wire inlays make an attribution to Shisou or a related workshop more than reasonable.The tortoise is one of the Four Fabulous Animals, the most prominent beasts of China. They govern the four points of the compass, with the Black Tortoise as the ruler of the north, symbolizing endurance, strength, and longevity. The tortoise and the tiger are the only real animals of the four, although the tortoise is sometimes depicted with supernatural features such as dragon ears, flaming tentacles, and a long hairy tail - such as the present lot - representing seaweed and the growth of plant parasites found on older tortoise shells that flow behind the tortoise as it swims. The Chinese Imperial Army carried flags with images of dragons and tortoises as symbols of unparalleled power and inaccessibility, as these animals fought with each other but both remained alive.Literature comparison: For an earlier inlaid bronze tortoise-form weight, dated 3rd-2nd century BC, see Christie's New York, The Sze Yuan Tang Archaic Bronzes from the Anthony Hardy Collection, 16 September 2010, lot 907. For an inlaid bronze tortoise-form weight dated Yuan to Ming dynasty, see Christie's Hong Kong, Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 27 November 2013, lot 3584. A lacquer-gilt bronze model of a turtle, also dated to the 17th century, was sold in these rooms in Fine Chinese Art, Buddhism and Hinduism on 6 March 2021, lot 430.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Zacke, 16 October 2021, lot 346 Price: EUR 1,150 or approx. EUR 1,350 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A silver-inlaid bronze 'turtle' weight, attributed to Shisou, late Ming dynasty Expert remark: Compare the closely related manner of casting, silver wire inlay decoration, and size (10 cm). Note that this is a figure of the mother turtle only, not showing the young. 明末錯銀銅龜携子，或爲石叟中國，十七世紀。 一隻母龜呈四足著地立姿，抬頭；一隻小龜爬在她的背上。龜甲上精美錯銀線，面部細節生動，活靈活現。 來源：法國波爾多私人收藏。 品相：狀況極好，有輕微磨損和鑄造不規則，局部小刻痕，輕微劃痕，鑲嵌物有輕微損失。整體包漿細膩。 重量：365.7 克 尺寸：長10.4 厘米 文獻比較： 一件西元二至三世紀銅鑲嵌龜鎮，見紐約佳士得，「The Sze Yuan Tang Archaic Bronzes from the Anthony Hardy Collection」，2010年9月16日，lot 907。一件元至明代銅鑲嵌龜鎮，見香港佳士得，《Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art》，2013年11月27日，lot 3584。一件十七世紀漆金鎏金銅龜，售於Zacke，《Fine Chinese Art，Buddhism and Hinduism》，2021年3月6日，lot 430。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：Zacke，2021年10月16日，lot 346 價格：EUR 1,150（相當於今日EUR 1,350） 描述：明末錯銀銅龜鎮紙 專家評論：比較非常相近的鑄造風格，銀鑲嵌裝飾和尺寸(10 厘米)。請注意此龜鎮紙只有母龜，沒有小龜。

AN ARCHAISTIC BRONZE 'DUCK' PAPERWEIGHT, EARLY QING DYNASTYChina, 17th-18th century. The recumbent bird is boldly cast with its wings tucked to its side and its curved ruyi-form tail feather pointing upwards. The almond-shaped eyes with subtly incised lower lashes beneath stylized swirling head feathers. The intricately patterned wings rest above curling feathers taking the form of archaistic C-scrolls and ruyi heads. The body with minute stippling beneath the duck's wings and extending to the back.Provenance: Dutch trade. Condition: Good condition with significant old wear and expected casting irregularities, light scratches, small nicks, minor dents, few tiny holes probably inherent to manufacturing. The head and tail with remnants of ancient gilt.Weight: 600.9 g Dimensions: Length 12.9 cm This bronze duck is rare as most bronze ducks are cast as incense burners or water droppers, while jade and crystal ducks are carved either in the round or as boxes and covers. The archaistic inspiration is clearly demonstrated in the C-scroll decorations around the wings and relates not only to Song and Ming revival of archaic bronzes but more directly to the Qianlong emperor's instruction to craftsmen to take inspiration from antiquity. See Chang Li-tuan, The Refined Taste of the Emperor: Special Exhibition of Archaic and Pictorial Jades of the Ch'ing Court, Taipei, 1997, pp. 49-50.The duck is often seen as the symbol of the first scholar, Zhuangyuan. In Chinese, the character for duck, ya, also bears the radical for the word armor, jia, and jia is the word to classify successful candidates in the final civil service exam. Ducks are also symbolic for filial piety and faithfulness, since they are believed to take a life-time partner.Literature comparison:Compare a prototype archaic bronze 'duck' incense burner and cover with similarly styled head and wings, dated mid-Western Han dynasty, at Bonhams Hong Kong, 29 May 2023, lot 321. Compare a related rock crystal duck-form vessel with similar archaistic C-scrolls, dated to the Qianlong period, at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 7 April 2010, lot 1986. Compare a related jade duck-shaped washer with similar archaistic elements, dated 18th century, at Bonhams Hong Kong, 29 May 2018, lot 23. Compare a related Yixing duck-form vase with similarly stylized wings, dated 20th century, at Sotheby's London, 13 May 2015, lot 224. 清朝初期鴛鴦銅鎮中國，十七至十八世紀。鴛鴦雙翅收於側，尾羽呈弧形如意狀向上翹起，大眼。鎮紙表面浮雕凹凸感強烈，造型栩栩如生。 來源：丹麥古玩交易。 品相：狀況良好，有明顯磨損和鑄造不規則、輕微劃痕、小刻痕、輕微凹痕、少數小孔。頭部和尾部有鍍金的痕跡。 重量：600.9 克 尺寸：長 12.9 厘米文獻比較： 比較一件的西漢中期青銅鴨形熏爐，見香港邦翰斯，2023年5月29日，lot 321。比較一件相近的乾隆款及年代水晶鴨形，見香港蘇富比，2010年4月7日，lot 1986。比較一件相近的十八世紀 白玉雕鴨形洗，見香港邦翰斯，2018年5月29日，lot 23。比較一件相近的二十世紀初宜興窰寶鴨尊《陳鳴遠》款，見倫敦蘇富比，2015年5月13日，lot 224。

A BRONZE 'MYTHICAL HOUND' WEIGHT, EARLY QING DYNASTYChina, 17th-18th century. Finely cast, the recumbent animal rests its front paws with its large claws on top of each other, curling its finely articulated tail next to its back legs. Cast with finely detailed hair down its head and neck, the ferocious hound bares its large fangs, with snarl wrinkles along its cheeks, and the back with a distinctively crenelated spine.Provenance: German trade. Condition: Good condition with expected old wear and some weathering, light surface scratches, small nicks here and there. The bronze is covered in a naturally grown chocolaty patina, and bears an unctuous feel overall, resulting from centuries of handling.Weight: 204.7 g Dimensions: Length 7.2 cm Auction result comparison: Type: Near identical Auction: Bonhams London, 23 September 2015, lot 60 Price: GBP 2,000 or approx. EUR 3,400 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A bronze 'hound' scroll weight Expert remark: Note the identical pose and face of this hound. Note the size (7.4 cm). 清初神犬銅鎮紙中國，十七至十八世紀。臥犬頭抬起並稍微向左轉，齜牙咧嘴，前爪疊放，頸部、脊柱、尾巴和腿部毛髮表現細緻生動，造型精巧。來源：德國古玩交易。 品相：狀況良好，有磨損和一些風化、輕微的表面劃痕、局部小刻痕。青銅表面有一層褐色包漿，整體瑩潤。 重量：204.7 克 尺寸：長 7.2 釐米 拍賣結果比較： 形制：幾乎相同 拍賣：倫敦邦瀚斯，2015年9月23日，lot 60 價格：GBP 2,000（相當於今日EUR 3,400） 描述：臥犬銅鎮紙 專家評論：請注意的相同的姿勢和面部。請注意尺寸 (7.4 釐米)。

A SILVER- AND GOLD-INLAID 'MYTHICAL BEAST' BRONZE, CHINA, 17TH-18TH CENTURYWell cast, standing foursquare with its head turned to the left, with large three-clawed feet and a long furcated tail. Its muscular body finely inlaid in gold and silver with feathers and archaistic designs. The face is set with a narrow beak, large eyes beneath thick brows, and a curved horn.Provenance: From an Austrian private collection.Condition: Very good condition with expected ancient wear, casting irregularities, small nicks, minor losses to inlays, and signs of corrosion. The bronze with a fine patina overall, showing areas vibrant malachite-green.Weight: 484 g Dimensions: Length 16.3 cm, Height 11.2 cm Literature comparison:Compare a related earlier mythical animal from the Zhongshan tombs, which possibly served as a prototype for the present lot, dated to the Warring States period, in the Hunan Museum, illustrated by Jenny So, Eastern Zhou Ritual Bronzes from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, Vol. III, 1995, New York, pp. 66, fig. 121.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's London, 13 November 2015, lot 1173 Price: GBP 7,500 or approx. EUR 13,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A silver wire and gold-inlaid bronze 'mythical beast' scroll weight, Ming dynasty, 17th century Expert remark: Compare the related manner of casting, modeling, and decoration with similar gold and silver inlays. Note the much smaller size (6.7 cm). 十七至十八世紀銅錯金銀神獸鑄造精良，神獸四足着地，頭轉向左側，三爪足，分叉尾；身形矯健，羽毛和古文錯金銀綫。臉上長著尖喙，濃眉大眼，彎曲的角。 來源：奧地利私人收藏 品相：狀況良好，有磨損、鑄造不規則、小刻痕、鑲嵌物的輕微損失，以及腐蝕跡象。青銅整體細膩綠色包漿。 重量：484 克 尺寸：長16.3 厘米, 高11.2 厘米文獻比較： 比較一件相近的中山墓出土戰國時期青銅神獸，可能為我們拍品的原型，收藏於湖南博物館，見Jenny So，《Eastern Zhou Ritual Bronzes from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections》，卷III，1995年，紐約，頁66，圖121。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：倫敦佳士得，2015年11月13日，lot 1173 價格：GBP 7,500（相當於今日EUR 13,000） 描述：十七世紀明代錯金銀神獸銅鎮紙 專家評論：比較相近的鑄造風格，模型，以及錯金銀鑲嵌。請注意尺寸較小(6.7 厘米)。

A LOBED BRONZE 'CHILONG' VASE, CHINA, 17TH CENTURYOf elegant baluster form, the eight-lobed vase heavily cast with a spreading foot, rounded shoulder, waisted neck, and galleried rim, flanked by two openworked and neatly incised handles modeled as chilong clambering up the vase in dynamic poses, their long furcated tails trailing behind. The bronze with a fine, smooth, chocolate-brown patina.Provenance: Formerly in the collection of Monsieur B., managing director of Le Bon Marche, Paris, in the early 20th century, and thence by descent in the same family. Founded in 1838 by the Boucicaut family, Le Bon Marche is a department store run by a partnership of top managers that continued the "family" culture of the business even after the death of the original founders.Condition: Good condition with expected old wear and some casting irregularities, small nicks, and light scratches.Weight: 3,540 g Dimensions: Height 29.8 cm Literature comparison:Compare a closely related vase with chilong handles, dated to the late Ming dynasty, in the Milwaukee Public Museum.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 3 December 2015, lot 330 Price: HKD 50,000 or approx. EUR 6,800 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A bronze lobed vase, Ming dynasty, 17th century Expert remark: Compare the closely related (albeit twelve-lobed) form, chilong handles, and chocolate-brown patina.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Bonhams San Francisco, 19 December 2016, lot 8221 Price: USD 11,250 or approx. EUR 13,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A tall bronze baluster vase with opposing dragon handles, 17th/18th century Expert remark: Compare the closely related form (albeit with more lobes than the present lot) and chilong handles. Note the larger size (52.7 cm). 十七世紀花口螭龍銅瓶八瓣花口瓶造型優雅，平足，溜肩，收腰，瓶身修長；肩部兩側分別攀爬著一條螭龍，長長的分叉尾巴，動感十足。銅色細膩，天然褐色包漿。 來源：二十世紀初巴黎Le Bon 3月e 董事總經理 B. 先生的收藏，源自同一家族。 Le Bon 3月e 由 Boucicaut 家族 1838 年創立，是一家由高層管理人員合夥經營的百貨公司，即使在原始創始人去世後，該公司仍延續了企業的“家族"文化。 品相：狀況良好，有磨損和一些鑄造不規則、小刻痕和輕微劃痕。 重量：3,540 克 尺寸：高29.8 厘米 文獻比較： 比較一件非常相近的明末螭龍雙耳瓶，收藏於Milwaukee公立博物館。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：香港蘇富比，2015年12月3日，lot 330 價格：HKD 50,000（相當於今日EUR 6,800） 描述：明十七世紀銅瓜棱形龍耳瓶 專家評論：比較非常相近 (儘管十二瓣)的外形，螭龍雙耳、巧克力色包漿。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：舊金山邦翰斯，2016年12月19日，lot 8221 價格：USD 11,250（相當於今日EUR 13,000） 描述：十七至十八世紀青銅龍柄花瓶 專家評論：比較非常相近的外形 (儘管比現在更多瓣) 、螭龍雙耳。請注意尺寸較大 (52.7 厘米)。

AN ARCHAISTIC BRONZE VESSEL, FANGDING, CHINA, 17TH CENTURYThe rectangular body raised on four tall legs issuing from beast masks, the flat everted rim surmounted by two upright loop handles. Finely cast to each side with taotie masks divided by notched flanges below a band of stylized dragons with ruyi-form heads and S-shaped bodies against a leiwen ground.Provenance: From an English private collection and thence by descent.Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and casting flaws, small nicks, light scratches, traces of use. The bronze covered with a fine dark patina.Weight: 1,910 gDimensions: Height 23 cm Literature comparison:Compare a related bronze prototype fangding from the Shang dynasty, 24 cm high, in the British Museum, registration number 1981,0530.1.Auction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Christie's New York, 22 August 2019, lot 150Price: USD 9,375 or approx. EUR 10,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A Chinese archaistic bronze, fangding, late Qing dynasty, 19th centuryExpert remark: Compare the closely related fangding form, manner of casting, and taotie motif. Note the smaller size (15.8 cm). 十七世紀方鼎式銅爐長方形，方鼎，獸面紋高足，扁平的外翻邊緣上方有兩個直立的環形手柄。 兩側均精雕細琢，獸面紋，龍紋，龍頭呈如意形，身體彎曲，雷紋地。 來源：英國私人收藏，家族傳承。 品相：狀況極好，有輕微磨損和鑄造缺陷、小刻痕、輕微劃痕、使用痕跡。細膩的深色包漿。 重量：1,910 克 尺寸：高 23 厘米文獻比較： 比較一件相近的商代方鼎，高24厘米，收藏於大英藝術博物館，館藏編號1981,0530.1。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：紐約佳士得，2019年8月22日，lot 150 價格：USD 9,375（相當於今日EUR 10,000） 描述：十九世紀清代末期方鼎 專家評論：比較非常相近方鼎的外形，鑄造風格和饕餮主題。請注意尺寸較小(15.8厘米)。

A BRONZE CENSER, YUTANG ZHENWAN MARK, EARLY QING DYNASTYChina, late 17th-18th century. The compressed globular body rises from a short foot to a flaring neck and rim and is set at the shoulder with a pair of simple loop handles. The base is cast with a four-character mark, and the finely polished metal has naturally patinated with speckles of a rich dark toffee tone.Inscriptions: To the base, 'Yutang zhenwan' (precious plaything of the Jade Hall).Provenance: From a notable private collection in Bavaria, Germany. Condition: Very good condition with expected old wear and some casting irregularities. Tiny nicks, light scratches, the interior with distinct traces of use.Weight: 1,155.1 g Dimensions: Width 14.1 cm Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby's London, 17 May 2019, lot 348 Price: GBP 7,500 or approx. EUR 11,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A bronze censer, 17th/18th century Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and patina. Note that this censer is similarly cast with a Yutang Qingwan ('pure pleasure of the Jade Hall') mark. Note the size (18.3 cm).Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's New York, 19 September 2014, lot 1052 Price: USD 25,000 or approx. EUR 29,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A bronze tripod censer and bronze stand, 17th-18th century Expert remark: Compare the identical mark and related form, albeit with slightly different handles. Note the size (18 cm) and the bronze stand. 清初“玉堂珍玩"款銅爐中國，十七世紀末至十八世紀。爐身線條流暢柔美，雙耳出頸曲折下收於腹部，渾厚有力。香爐通體深褐色包漿，富貴而莊重。底足有“玉堂珍玩"印。 款識：玉堂珍玩 來源：德國巴伐利亞知名私人收藏。 品相：狀況良好，有一些磨損、表面淺劃痕、鑄造缺陷。 重量：1,155.1 克 尺寸：寬 14.1 厘米 拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：倫敦蘇富比，2019年5月17日，lot 348 價格：GBP 7,500（相當於今日EUR 11,500） 描述：十七/十八世紀銅蚰耳爐《玉堂清玩》款 專家評論：比較非常相近的外形和包漿。請注意同樣為「玉堂清玩」款識。請注意尺寸(18.3 厘米)。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：紐約佳士得，2014年9月19日，lot 1052 價格：USD 25,000（相當於今日EUR 29,000） 描述：清 十七至十八世紀銅雙耳三足爐《玉堂珍玩》篆書款 專家評論：比較相同的款識和相近的外形，儘管雙耳不同。請注意尺寸(18 厘米) 和有銅底座。