A SILVER- AND GOLD-INLAID ‘MYTHICAL BEAST’ BRONZE, CHINA, 17TH-18TH CENTURY
Well 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)。