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A LARGE STONE WEIGHT FOR THE MINISTRY OF NATIONAL DEFENSE, GUANFA, 300 JIN, DATED 1525
奥地利
09月10日 下午5点 开拍 / 09月08日 下午3点 截止委托
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A LARGE STONE WEIGHT FOR THE MINISTRY OF NATIONAL DEFENSE, GUANFA, 300 JIN, DATED 1525
This lot is a museum deaccession and is therefore offered without reserve

China. The weight of rectangular form, tapering towards the top, surmounted by a beast-form handle with two heads, each with bulging eyes, bearing sharp teeth, and three horns. One side incised with inscriptions.

Inscriptions: ‘Competition of the Ministry of National Defense (Bingbufajiao), 300 Jin [approx. 150 kg or more], 4th year of the Jiajing reign [1525], signed on the eight lunar month by the government’.

Provenance: The Kienzle Family Collection, Stuttgart, Germany. Acquired between 1950 and 1985 by siblings Else (1912-2006), Reinhold (1917-2008), and Dr. Horst Kienzle (1924-2019), during their extensive travels in Asia. Subsequently inherited by Dr. Horst Kienzle and bequeathed to the Museum für Asiatische Kunst, Radevormwald, Germany. Released through museum deaccession in 2024. The Kienzle siblings were avid travelers and passionate collectors of Asian and Islamic art. During their travels, the Kienzle’s sought out and explored temples, monasteries, and markets, always trying to find the best pieces wherever they went, investing large sums of money and forging lasting relationships to ensure they could acquire them. Their fervor and success in this pursuit is not only demonstrated by their collection but further recorded in correspondences between Horst Kienzle and several noted dignitaries, businesses and individuals in Nepal and Ladakh. Their collection had gained renown by the 1970s, but the Kienzle’s stopped acquiring new pieces around 1985. Almost thirty years later, the collection was moved to the Museum für Asiatische Kunst, Radevormwald, opened by Peter Hardt in 2014. Before his death in 2019, Horst Kienzle bequeathed his entire property to Peter Hardt and legally adopted him as his son, who has been using the name Peter Kienzle-Hardt ever since.
Condition: Overall good condition with expected wear, signs of weathering and erosion, small losses, chips, structural fissures, nicks, scratches, and old fills to the handle.

Weight: approximately 200-250 kg
Dimensions: Length 78 cm

Guanfa refers to official stone weights—or standardized weights—used in ancient China under government regulation. These weights were essential for precise measurement in taxation, commerce, and official storage, helping ensure consistency and fairness across the Empire. The weights were predominantly used in state-run granaries, customs houses, and official markets, where accurate measurement of bulk goods—especially grain and salt—was crucial.

The Ministry of National Defense (Bingbu) was one of the six ministries and the official military and political agency of the Ming dynasty. It was responsible for the selection and appointment of military officers, the training of conquests, and the administration of horses and postal affairs. It played an irreplaceable role in ensuring the effective operation of daily military management and assisting the monarch in making military decisions.

Many stone weights have been unearthed in Zhangjiawan, Tongzhou, with a large number dating to the Ming dynasty. These are generally cube-shaped, with varying designs for the knob, most made from different types of heavy stone. Many are undecorated, though some bear carved patterns. A few are inscribed with characters indicating serial numbers or locations. Notable examples include a stone weight inscribed with ‘Official Standard (Guanfa)’, a weight from the Lower Salt Works in Zhangjiawan, and a drum-shaped weight with a tall knob. One remarkable Ming-dynasty square stone weight from the Lower Salt Works weighs approximately 300 kilograms—an exceptionally large example rare in historical records.

Literature comparison:
Compare an inscribed granite weight, 47.5 cm long, weighing 300-400 jin, found in the lower salt factory of Zhangjiawan in Tongzhou. Also compare an inscribed limestone weight, 62 cm long, found in the lower salt factory of Zhangjiawan in Tongzhou.

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价格信息

拍品估价:2,000 - 4,000 欧元 起拍价格:1,000 欧元  买家佣金: 35.00%

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