Page 114 - Important Chinese Art Sothebys March 2019

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propertY From the JUnKUnC CoLLeCtIon this bronze weight is exceptional for the extraordinary
A RARE GILT-BRONZE ‘MYTHICAL BEAST’ quality of its gilding and the fine details. the animal’s relaxed
WEIGHT pose is rendered in a highly naturalistic manner, in contrast
to its exaggerated bulging eyes and menacing teeth.
MING DYNASTY, EARLY 15TH CENTURY
small animal sculptures such as the present were made
recumbent, the body twisting slightly to the left, the from the early ming dynasty, due to a renewed interest in
shoulders and left hip hunched beside the torso emphasizing the Xuande reign for bronze wares for the scholar’s desk.
the beast’s brawny musculature, the face nestled between examples from this period are however very rare, and no
the front paws with the lip curling up exposing the fangs, other paperweight of this form and design appears to have
the bulging eyes enlivened by the flame-like eyebrows, the been published. Compare a paperweight in the form of
horn emerging at the crest of the head and resting against a scaly mythical beast, included in the oriental Ceramic
the neck, the pommel-like nodes of the spine, the individual society of hong Kong exhibition Arts from the Scholar’s
toes and the long strands of fur at the mane, beard and tail Studio, Fung ping shan museum, hong Kong, 1986, cat. no.
all finely articulated, the lustrous gilt well-preserved, wood 194, together with a censer featuring dragons with related
stand (2) menacing features, inscribed with a Xuande mark and of
Length 2¾ in., 7 cm the period, cat. no. 139; and another paperweight sold at
Christie’s hong Kong, 4th april 2017, lot 68. Compare also
PROVENANCE a gilt-bronze bixie figure, attributed to the song to ming
Collection of stephen Junkunc, III (d. 1978). dynasty, from the John D. rockefeller Collection now in the
asia society, new York, acc. no. 1979.111.
paperweights of this type originate from bronze mat weights
made in the Western han dynasty, although their popularity
increased in the tang when bronze and jade versions were
made in relatively large numbers. a jade mythical animal
carved in a similar pose and with a pronounced spine, was
included in the exhibition Chinese Jade Throughout the Ages,
Victoria and albert museum, London, 1975, cat. no. 196.
$ 60,000-80,000
明十五世紀初 銅鎏金瑞獸紙鎮

來源
史蒂芬•瓊肯三世（1978年逝）收藏

112 SOTHEBY’S Important ChInese art