| 中文版 English

具体要求

其它要求

-
关闭
A RARE AND IMPRESSIVE BLACK STONE FIGURE OF A LION, TANG DYNASTY
奥地利
2025年10月16日 开拍
拍品描述
China, 618-907. Naturalistically and powerfully carved seated on its hind legs, the beast's forepaws supporting its strong body, the ferocious expression defined by the tightly pressed mouth baring teeth, wide bulging eyes, and a flaring snout, the beast's majestic mane arranged in neatly detailed thick curls.Provenance: From the Estate of Edith and Joel Frankel, New York. An old inventory label to the foot, '[…]ng, 7,500'. E & J Frankel was a major New York gallery specializing in Asian Art since 1967. Run by Edith (1939-2012) and Joel Frankel (1937-2018), it was one of the oldest galleries in the United States focusing exclusively on Asian art. Leaders in their field, the Frankels traveled the world in search of Asian art treasures and educated the general public about their shared passion. Their gallery on Madison Avenue in New York City became a local institution, best known for its regular schedule of innovative thematic exhibitions, and frequently visited by the biggest names in the field, such as Eskenazi, Ellsworth, Junkunc, and the Alsdorfs.Condition: Superb condition, commensurate with age. Expected wear, obvious losses, traces of weathering, encrustations, structural fissures, scratches, and nicks. All as expected for an authentic stone lion from the Tang dynasty.Weight: 2,208.6 gDimensions: Height 13 cm, Length 15.5 cmThe lion is well represented in Buddhist art of the Tang dynasty. Its roar was said to represent the dissemination of the Buddhist scriptures. In their role as guardian figures, lions can be found not only lining spirit roads which lead to Imperial tombs, but also in pairs in tombs, such as the pair of small marble lions found guarding the front room of the underground hoard of Buddhist relics at the Famen Temple. See Famen Temple, Shanxi, 1990, pp. 164-167. This figure is stylistically similar to other stone lions of Tang date that are also seated on a plinth, some with their head turned, some with their mouth open.This piece marks an important stylistic shift from the more abstract depictions of lions of the preceding Northern Qi and Sui dynasties, and displays the vigorousness and boldness characteristic of Tang sculptures. The Tang dynasty saw an unprecedented flowering of the arts, resulting from political and military stability and a general openness to foreign trade. Lions were among the most prized tributary items presented to the Tang court by emissaries from the western regions of India and Central Asia. After receiving a lion as tribute from Samarkand in 635, Emperor Taizong (598-649) is recorded to have commissioned a poem in its honor from the court poet Yu Shinan (558-638). Lions were also sent from Samarkand, Khotan and as far as the Arabian Peninsula.Tang carvers and artists strived to successfully display the animal's majestic demeanor, its ferociousness and strength. A description of a lion painting by the 8th century painter Wei Wutian exemplifies this trend: “When foreign countries presented lions to the court, he made paintings of them that were strikingly lifelike. Later, the lions would be returned to their homes, and only their paintings were kept; even so, whenever the pictures were unrolled, any other animal that caught sight of them would be terrified.” (see Alexander C. Soper, T'ang Ch'ao Ming Hua Lu: Celebrated Painters of the T'ang Dynasty, by Chu Chung-hsuan of T'ang, Artibus Asiae, XXI, 1958, p. 217).Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie's New York, 23 March 2012, lot 1764Price: USD 458,500 or approx. EUR 583,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing : A magnificent carved black limestone figure of a lion and prey Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling and manner of carving with similar ferocity, curled mane, and base. Note the much larger size (28.5 cm).Auction result comparison: Type: Closely relatedAuction: Zacke, Vienna, 10 April 2025, lot 76Price: EUR 26,000: A rare and impressive black stone figure of a lion, Tang dynastyExpert remark: Compare the closely related modeling and manner of carving with similar ferocity, curled mane, and base. Note the larger size (19 cm).

本场其它拍品

  • 竞价阶梯
  • 快递物流
  • 拍卖规则
  • 支付方式
竞价区间 加价幅度
0
10
50
50
600
100
1,600
200
4,000
500
8,000
1,000
16,000
2,000
40,000
5,000
80,000
10,000
160,000
20,000
+

价格信息

拍品估价:1,500 - 3,000 欧元 起拍价格:1,500 欧元  买家佣金:

拍卖公司

Galerie Zacke
地址: Sterngasse 13, 1010 Vienna, Austria
电话: 0043-1-5320452
邮编: 1070
向卖家提问