Page 208 - Sotheby's Fine Chinese Art NYC September 2023

806
A LARGE PAIR OF BRONZE BUDDHIST LIONS 明末 銅佛獅一對
LATE MING DYNASTY
(5) 來源
Length 23 in., 58.5 cm 賓州私人收藏
PROVENANCE
Pennsylvania Private Collection.

$ 30,000-50,000

805
A GILT-BRONZE ‘LION’ PAPERWEIGHT 明 銅鎏金獅形紙鎮
MING DYNASTY
《宣德年製》款
the base incised in kaishu with four-character Xuande mark,
wood stand (2) 來源
Length 3⅝in., 9.3cm 味餘書室
PROVENANCE
Colette Chan’s Asian Art.
This finely cast gilt-bronze figure of a crouching lion is
intricately modelled with varying layers of relief delineating
the animal in full naturalistic detail and richly gilded. For
another Xuande reign-marked example from the Xiaogushan
Guan studio collection, see Rochers de lettrés, Itinéraires
de l’Art en Chine, Musée des Arts Asiatiques Guimet,
Paris, 2012, cat. no. 58. For a Ming dynasty bronze ‘lion’
paperweight, partially gilt and inlaid with semi-precious,
preserved in the Victoria & Albert Museum (accession no.
M.741-1910), see Rose Kerr, Later Chinese Bronzes, London,
1990, p. 88, pl. 72. The V&A example shares several features
with the current lot, notably similar modelling in the round,
detailed layering of the flaming mane, knobbed spine and
proud, alert facial features.

⊖ $ 10,000-15,000

412 SOTHEBY’S COMPLETE CATALOGUING AVAILABLE AT SOTHEBYS.COM/N11275 413