Page 14 - Bonhams May 16, 2019 London Asian Art

5
A RARE PAIR OF BRONZE SILVER-INLAID CROSSBOW Crossbows first came into use during the Eastern Zhou dynasty (771-
HOLDERS, CHENG NU QI 256 BC). Crossbow holders (cheng nu qi 承弩器) developed alongside
Late Warring States/Western Han Dynasty as a means of securing the weapons to chariots and ensured ready
Each rectangular socket of the bow-support shaped as a head of a access by soldiers. The front extends upwards into a curved hook,
tiger depicted with round ears and bulging eyes, the open mouth and while the back end opened into a socket that was attached to a tenon
elegantly-curved neck terminating with the head of a phoenix, all finely at the front of the chariot. The crossbow would have been hitched to
decorated with silver and gold inlaid designs forming abstract lines of this tenon at an upward slant. A bronze chariot model from pit no.1 of
coils, spirals and cicadas. the mausoleum of Qin Shihuangdi shows clearly how this was fitted.
Each 19cm (7 1/2in) long. (4). See Age of Empires: Art of the Qin and Han Dynasties, New York,
2017, pp.90-91.
£50,000 - 70,000
CNY440,000 - 610,000

戰國晚期/西漢 青銅嵌銀承弩器一對

Provenance: acquired on 20 November 1969 (invoice)

來源：購於1969年11月20日（發票）

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot
12 | BONHAMS please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.