Page 118 - Christie's July 9th 2020 Hong Kong Important Chinese Works of Art

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A BRONZE TIGER-FORM FINIAL 戰國 青銅虎鈕

WARRING STATES PERIOD (475-221 BC) 青銅伏虎四肢微曲，厚掌著地，剛健有力，翹尾端卷。虎首
It is solidly cast in the form of a crouching tiger. Its head is raised 上揚，雙目圓凸，並以綠松石飾之。全器表面陰刻細線，虎
growling with a long lean body and outstretched tail curling 軀兩旁則刻飾夔龍紋，以示毛髮。此器下方見有一孔，當為
upwards at the tip. The head is finely cast with wavy lines 原作青銅飾件的鑄接痕。
suggesting fur, and with spiralled scrolls and continuous patterns
defining the brows, ruff and the tail, the eyes inlaid with turquoise. 來源
Each side of the body is also decorated with bands of stylised kui 1995年12月6日購藏於香港
dragons. The underside has a small aperture for attachment.
9 ¡ in. (24 cm.) long, box 台灣清翫雅集成員舊藏
雲中居，台北
HK$380,000-500,000 US$50,000-65,000
此青銅虎之造型極有可能原為青銅錞于頂部中央所鑄之虎形鈕。錞于為
PROVENANCE 古代樂器，即《周禮》中所載之「六鼓四金」，為商周禮制極為重要之
Acquired in Hong Kong, 6 December 1995 鳴擊器。而在出土文物資料當中，錞于在春秋晚期進入吳越地區，戰國
Property from a member of the Ching Wan Society, Taiwan 晚期至西漢早期，更為巴人廣用，其中以虎鈕錞于則最具代表性，其多
Chang Wei-Hwa & Company, Taipei 與鼓配合，為軍旅發號施令之重器。巴人認為虎為百獸之王，為勇猛威
Bronze tiger-form fittings of this type were originally used as the finial 武的象徵。《後漢書》記：「廩君死，魂魄世為白虎。巴氏以虎飲人血，
on top of a bronze drum, chunyu, which served as a musical instrument 遂以人祠焉。」廩君為巴人先祖，因其死後魂魄化為白虎，故巴人認為
to give commands to troops, as stated in Zhouli (Rites of Zhou). From 虎為百獸之王，視其為勇猛威武的象徵。
late Warring States (475-221 BC) to early Western Han (206 BC-AD8)
the instrument was largely used by people in the State of Ba (?-316 可參考兩件素面青銅虎鈕錞于，其載於 J. So 所著的《Eastern Zhou
BC), an ancient state in eastern Sichuan province whose border was Ritual Bronzes from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections》，紐約，1995年，
shared by the Qin, Chu and Shu Kingdoms. According to legend, the
founder of the State of Ba, Lord Lin, transformed into a white tiger 頁399-405，圖版編號82及83。其中前者屬於公元前4至3世紀之錞于，
after his death. Hence, the tiger motif signified the power, strength and 後者則為公元 3 世紀下半葉。另有一件西漢青銅虎鈕錞于則藏於陜西歷
supernatural forces of the Ba people. 史博物館，見《陜西青銅器》，西安，1994 年，頁 284。
Two chunyu drums bearing a similar tiger figure on top, but unornamented,
are illustrated in J. So, Eastern Zhou Ritual Bronzes from the Arthur M.
Sackler Collections, New York, 1995, pp. 399-405, nos. 82 and 83, the
first dated 4th-3rd century BC, the second late 3rd century BC. Another
example is a Western Han tiger-mounted chunyu in the Shaanxi History
Museum Collection, China, illustrated by Li Xixing in The Shaanxi Bronzes,
Xi'an, 1994, p. 284.

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