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Lot 14
Warring States period (475 – 221 BC) A small button shaped bronze belt hook. The inlay includes bronze, gold, silver, turquoise, and lapis lazuli. belt hooks of this kind are usually long while this example is round like a button and the hook, typically zoomorphic, is very short. The dragon’s head is finely inlaid with turquoise eyes, a heart shaped design on top of the head, and small oval ears. There are two chilong either side, with turquoise eyes and long ribbed lapis lazuli bodies. The sharp claws are inlaid with gold and silver. There is a central lapis stone which forms part of a taotie mask incorporating a gold moustache. The turquoise and lapis lazuli stones have an aged appearance. The underside shows a blue green patination. Dimensions: Length 6.7cm, weight 95 grams
Lot 36
Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD) It is rare to find a Han bronze animal of such large size. Moreover, it is unusual to see such a naturalistic pose giving the impression of stealthy movement. It shows great strength and power. It has a fierce expression on the face with an open mouth revealing teeth and tongue. There are curved bands with incised lines either side of head, prominent eyes, detailed nostrils and small round ears. The gilding is partially covered by encrustations on a maroon black patination. The body shows powerful musculature with detailed curved markings above the large claws. The left hind leg is slightly raised giving the impression of motion. The long curved triangular shaped tail terminates in a curled end. The base shows a hollow body with much heavy black encrustation. it is interesting to compare this Han feline with the inlaid Warring States feline. Test results Dr Peter Northover has tested the bronze and spectroscopic examination results support the Han dating. He concludes that: `The composition of this feline is fully consistent with a Han Dynasty origin.’ The full report is available. Dimensions: Length 25cms, width 6.5cm, weight 835 grams References 1. Powerful figures of strident felines are also found among the monumental stone sculptures of Han Dynasty spirit roads, three of which are illustrated in paludan, The Chinese Spirit Road, 1991 pls.36-8, one in the Guanlinmiao Museum, Luoyang, two in the Shaanxi provincial Museum, Xi’an. 2. See Chinese Art: Bronze, Jade Sculpture, Ceramics Daisy Lion-Goldsmith and 3. Jean Claude Moreau Gobard,. pl.43
Lot 38
Western Han period 2nd – 1st century BC. This gilt bronze phoenix is cast with finely engraved linear detailing. The head shows a powerful beak with open mouth. Eyes inlaid with jet and with fine lines along the curling eyebrows, either side of the head and the delicate pointed ears. There are feather-tufts sweeping back on each side behind the eyes. Arising from the head is a curved feather plume inlaid with agate, and topped with a smaller curved plume. The prominent body would have had a central stone on its chest (now missing). There is a pointed delineated triangular tuft of feathers in front extending down from the rounded chest. The two large wings with different feather patterns, sweep backwards. between these, arises the large tail cast as four plumes of diminishing size, arranged symmetrically each terminating in a curled end with a gilt boss. The tail rises between six shorter tail feathers curled down in matching groups of three on each side. The back shows a square shaped hollow section which suggests that this bronze may have been a decorative fitting. The powerful legs have large talons and the phoenix stands on a base which has swirled engraving and is inlaid with agate and turquoise stones. Much of the original gilding remains but there is heavy green patination and corrosion in places and on the underside of the base. Han gilt bronze depictions of phoenix are very rare, especially in free standing form. This elegant bronze is a magnificent depiction of everything the phoenix represents in Chinese art. Dimensions: Height 21.5cms, width 9cms, weight 795 grams. References: 1. See illustration in Kandai no Bijutsee col.pl.60. 2. Also, see Exhibition of Art of the Han 1979 Chinese Institute in America. New York catalogue no.49. 3. Comparison see Eternal China: Splendors from the First Dynasties. Dayton, 1998, p66-67, no.5 phoenix Qin dynasty (221 – 206bC). 4. Chinese, Korean and Japanese Sculpture: The Avery Bundage Collection, Asian Art Museum of San Franscisco, Tokyo, 1974, pp.60-61, no.16 where author cites another example from a Han dynasty tomb in ding county, Herbei province, published in Wenwu, 1964, No.12,pl.1-3. 5. See gilt bronze phoenix finial in exhibition catalogue Setagaya Museum of Art exhibition catalogue, Shin no Shik tei to sono jidaiten (Exhibition of the Archaeological Relics of the Emperor Qin Shihuang), Tokyo, 1994, no.115. 6. Ancient Chinese Bronzes by J.J.Lally and Co. 2011. pl.20
Lot 5
Exceptional large neolithic bi disc. It has a subtle range of colours including blue, green, grey, black and creamy white. The surface pattern shows cloud like effects with streaks of lines and in places the stone has a stippled appearance. There are dark and light areas and the surface is highly polished. The central drilling is conical and was re-polished to remove all drilling traces. There are corrosive areas most evident on one side. This type of jade and the techniques used to drill the hole, suggests a late neolithic date. Dimensions: diameter 26cms, hole 5.7cms, thickness 1mm – 10mm, weight 1820 grams Reference A two segment disc in a similar type of bluish, speckled jade is in the Harvard Art Museum collection acc. No. 1943.50.597, online image at http://www.harvardartmuseums.org/collections/ob- ject/204625?position=0
Lot 6
Ming dynasty (1368 – 1644 AD) A beautiful 16th – 17th century Ming horse. The predominantly brownish/grey stone carving follows the shape of the original pebble. The recumbent horse has its head turned back showing the finely delineated mane and tail curved at the front. The face is composed and expressive. The base is formed from an inclusion of deep russet colour and is carved in low relief with cloud scrolls. It has its original carved wooden stand. Dimensions: Length 8.5cms, weight 300 grams Reference 1. See jade Ming horse Lot 194, Mallams auction October 2014
Lot 8
Liangzhu period (3400 – 2250 BC) This jade bi disc is of exceptional size and decoration. The inner and outer edges are smooth. There is a chip on the inner hole which has been smoothed down. It is drilled from both sides with a slightly uneven join, characteristic of Liangzhu period discs. The decoration comprises of lightly incised birds on pedestals, sitting on four round objects which may represent eggs. There are two parallel lines above and below monster masks with oval eyes and headdress, and a distinctive trapezoidal inlay plate. This has been developed from the shaped crown worn by a deity or ancestor and is an iconic decoration used by the Liangzhu people. The design is repeated on both side. The stone is light and dark green, cream, orange, and dark brown, with semi- translucent light green areas. Many decoration details appear to be worn away or were lightly incised. Geological condition The stone is nephrite, which under magnification, shows numerous crevices, weathering, colour change, loss of translucency, loss of lustre, whitening in grooves, crystal formation, crystal enlargement, surface dissolution, and porosities. Dimensions: diameter 37cm, thickness 1cm reducing to 3mm at edge, weight 3060 grams References 1. british Museum had a large disc with similar bird design on display until 2015 when it was removed. 2. Chinese Jade Neolithic to Qing Jessica Rawson p132. 3. Chinese Jades, Study of Jades of the Liangzhou Culture. Colloquies on Art and Archeology No 18, 1997. Rosemary Scott 4. See Teng Shu-ping, Chinese Jades Edited by Rosemary Scott p19.
Lot 927
*WWI Art. A large collection of photographs and prints of First World War interest, including 4 lithographs by Captain Gerald Spencer Pryse, 6 colour woodcuts by Maurice Busset, 3 etchings by Private William H. Mulready Stone, groups of prints taken from 'British Artists at the Front', after artwork by C.R.W. Nevinson, Paul Nash, Eric Kennington, many prints in modern mounts, various sizes (approx. 100)
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