? A SET OF FOUR RARE GOLD AND SILVER INLAID GOOSE-FORM MAT WEIGHTS, ZHENXI, LATE WARRING STATES PERIOD - WESTERN HAN DYNASTY Expert’s note: Complete sets of four mat weights are exceptionally rare, as individual pieces were often dispersed or lost over time, enhancing both their rarity and the historical importance of this lot. The present examples are notable for their substantial size and weight, distinguishing them from the smaller types later employed for unrolling handscroll paintings.
China, circa 3rd-2nd century BC. Comprising four weights, superbly cast in the form of geese, each with its neck and head turned back so that the head rests on the back of the body, forming a loop for holding the weight. The plumage is arranged in five rows, exquisitely inlaid with gold and silver, while the legs are finely inlaid with silver. (4)
Weight: 2,295 g (total)
Dimensions: Length 8 cm
Provenance: Samuel E. Wilson (1891-1965), by repute acquired in China in the 1920s, and thence by descent in the family. The Ben Essex Collection of Chinese Art, London, United Kingdom, acquired from the above. Dr. Ben Essex is a noted English collector of ancient Chinese works of art. He inherited an impressive collection from his grandfather Max Lowenson, and has been expanding it with great verve and passion for decades. Today, pieces from Dr. Essex's collection are housed in the National Museum of Wales.
Condition: Very good condition, commensurate with age. Expected wear, casting irregularities, corrosion, deep traces of weathering, some losses to the inlays. A fine, naturally grown patina with thick malachite and cuprite encrustation overall.
Mat weights epitomize the technical sophistication and aesthetic refinement of early Chinese bronze during the Warring States period (475–221 BC) and the Han dynasty (206 BC–220 AD). Originally conceived as functional implements to secure the corners of mats used for seating or for the board game liubo, such objects also served ritual purposes and were frequently interred in tombs for use in the afterlife. Beyond their utilitarian role, mat weights held symbolic and cosmological significance, their designs often incorporating auspicious motifs such as tortoises, birds, or composite mythical creatures.
The earliest reference to such bronze weights appears in the ancient classics, Chu Ci (Verses of the South), where they are mentioned as household and scholarly implements used to hold down mats or sheets of paper. To achieve greater density without enlarging their form, artisans increased the lead content in bronze alloys, thereby enhancing both weight and durability. Frequently gilded, inlaid with precious metals, or set with gemstones, these objects exemplify the highest standards of technical and artistic accomplishment in early Chinese metalwork. Prior to the adoption of chairs in the Tang dynasty, mats constituted the principal furnishings for seating, rendering such weights indispensable to daily life.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Sotheby’s New York, 18 September 2024, lot 56
Price: USD 60,000 or approx. EUR 53,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A rare gold and silver-inlaid bronze peacock-form mat weight, Han dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the closely related object type, shape, modeling, inlays and date. Note the size (7 cm).
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 16 September 2010, lot 907
Price: USD 68,500 or approx. EUR 87,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A rare small gold and silver-inlaid bronze tortoise-form weight, Late Warring States period/Western Han dynasty, 3rd-2nd century BC
Expert remark: Compare the closely related object type, inlays and date. Note the smaller size (5 cm) and different animal.
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