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A RARE AND LARGE SILVERED BRONZE ‘ZODIAC’ MIRROR, SUI-EARLY TANG DYNASTY
奥地利
06月27日 下午5点 开拍
拍品描述

Description

A RARE AND LARGE SILVERED BRONZE ‘ZODIAC’ MIRROR, SUI-EARLY TANG DYNASTY

China, 7th century. The circular mirror is crisply cast in relief with a central knop in the form of a crouching beast, surrounded by five winged leonine creatures in various dynamic poses amid floral wisps, enclosed by two dogtooth bands, and encircled by the twelve animals of the zodiac below a further dogtooth border as well as bands of sinuous vines and floral lozenges.

Provenance: From the collection of Max Lowenson. The Essex Collection of Chinese Art, acquired from the above via inheritance. Born in Latvia, Max Lowenson (1879-1945) immigrated to Cardiff, Wales, in the early 20th century, where he became a successful businessman. His prosperity allowed him to travel extensively across Asia, sparking a deep fascination with Chinese history and leading to the formation of an impressive collection of Chinese art, spanning from the Warring States period to the Tang dynasty. Lowenson's legacy continues through his grandson, Dr. Ben Essex, and his wife, Nina Essex, who inherited and expanded the collection. Today, pieces from Dr. Essex's collection are housed in the National Museum of Wales.
Condition: Good condition, extensive wear to the silvering, some weathering, miniscule nicks, casting irregularities. The bronze with a rich, naturally grown patina with areas of malachite and cuprite encrustation.

Weight: 1.9 kg
Dimension: Diameter 21.9 cm

In ancient China, from at least the Shang dynasty (c.1600-1100 BC), mirrors served both as functional articles of daily life and as sacred objects possessing powers of their own. By the fourth century BC, the custom had developed of placing mirrors in tombs. The Chinese believed that mirrors had the ability not only to reflect the truth, and thus ward off evil demons who could not bear to look upon them-selves, but also to radiate light and illuminate the tomb for eternity.

The Chinese zodiac, as an essential part of Chinese culture, started to take shape during the Han Dynasty. This era formalizes a twelve-year cycle, where each year is associated with a specific animal, as part of a timekeeping system. This system, known as the zodiac cycle, combined the twelve Earthly Branches (地支) with the ten Heavenly Stems (天干) to create a total of a 60-year cycle. Each Earthly Branch was linked to an animal, and to the twelve zodiac signs: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig.

Literature comparison:
A Tang mirror of this type, with five muscular animals racing around the knop, and the twelve animals of the zodiac in an outer band, is illustrated in Bronze Mirrors from the Shanghai Museum Collection, Shanghai, 1987, no. 71.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 16 September 2010, lot 911
Price: USD 122,500 or approx. EUR 159,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: An unusual bronze 'zodiac' mirror, Sui or early Tang dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, decoration, and smaller size (12.1 cm).

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价格信息

拍品估价:600 - 1,200 欧元 起拍价格:600 欧元  买家佣金: 35.00%

拍卖公司

Galerie Zacke
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