| 中文版 English

具体要求

其它要求

-
关闭
A POWERFUL AND IMPORTANT LIMESTONE FIGURE OF A BIXIE, SIX DYNASTIES PERIOD
奥地利
04月16日 下午5点 开拍 /14天1小时
拍品描述
China, 5th-6th century. Powerfully carved in a prowling pose, the mythical beast is depicted with an intense gaze, its bulging eyes set beneath thick, curling eyebrows. The well-pronounced snout leads to a wide-open mouth in a ferocious roar, baring its fangs. The muscular body is flanked by a pair of wings extending dramatically from the front haunches, detailed with fine incisions, and the spine is lined with curling tufts of hair. The single horn on the chimera's head identifies the beast as male.The stone is a deep grey limestone with distinct white veining — a material type found in some Chinese sculptures of the Six Dynasties (220-589), though no single variety defines this period's stone carving tradition. Provenance: Collection of Dr. Helmut Ploog, Munich, Germany, assembled from 1965 onwards and thence by descent. Dr. Helmut Ploog (1940-2024) was among the most influential and respected graphologists in the German-speaking world. Over the course of a distinguished career as an expert witness, educator, and author, he published a series of seminal works that are now regarded as standard references in the study of handwriting and character analysis. Beyond his professional achievements, Ploog cultivated a deep commitment to the arts. He assembled a notable collection of Asian art, including significant Chinese and Thai works. He donated part of his collection, among them several important Khmer sculptures, to the Weltmuseum in Vienna. Condition: Fragmentary condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, signs of weathering and erosion, obvious losses, an old repair at the neck, chips, nicks, and structural fissures.Despite its fragmentary state, what survives is particularly well preserved, retaining much of its original strength and expression. The modeling remains firm and composed, a resilience frequently encountered in ancient Chinese sculpture, where even incomplete works preserve a remarkable sense of presence.Weight: 29.8 kg Dimensions: Length 48 cmRecent archaeological discoveries have provided compelling evidence that, well before the introduction of Buddhism and the proliferation of Buddhist imagery in China, a distinct tradition of early animal sculpture had already flourished. This sculptural idiom, which developed during the Han dynasty, was shaped both by indigenous prehistoric traditions and by contact with Central Asia and regions farther west. Within this context, chimera figures assumed a prominent role as monumental elements of funerary architecture. During the Han period, such stone chimeras were installed along spirit paths leading to the tombs and mausoleums of the imperial family and other members of the elite. Paired with stone columns and epitaph stelae, large double-horned chimeras were positioned facing one another at the entrance to these sacred avenues, serving as apotropaic guardians against malevolent forces.Literature comparison:Compare a closely related larger stone figure of a winged unicorn, dated to the Southern Dynasties period, 90.2 cm long, in the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, object number B60S145+. Compare a related larger and earlier stone tomb sculpture of a winged lion, dated to the Han dynasty, ca. 200 AD, 208.3 cm long, in the Penn Museum, object number C656.Auction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Sotheby's New York, 19 March 2007, lot 512Price: USD 5,472,000 or approx. EUR 7,245,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing: An extremely important and rare massive limestone chimera, Six dynasties, first half of 6th centuryExpert remark: Compare the closely related subject, manner of carving, and stone.

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
+

委托价 (已有0次出价)

欧元

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