Page 24 - 2020 September 21 Elegant Embellishment the RenLu Colelction, Bonham NYC

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A PAIR OF GOLD ‘BIRD’ EARRINGS, ERHUAN TWO GOLD ‘CELESTIAL DEITY’ EARRINGS, ERHUAN
Song dynasty 10th-14th century
Each rendered in the form of a bird with an open beak, its curving Each decorated with a deity seated on floating clouds holding a fruit-
body resembling the shape of a crescent moon, etched with stylized like offering in two hands, the figure’s head surmounted with a crown,
feathers, the tail thinning into a distinctive 几-form pin. framed by a halo with incised lines, the curving pin thinning towards its
7/8in (2.2cm) wide from head to tail (2). tip.
1 3/8in (3.5cm) long excluding pin (2).
US$3,000 - 5,000
US$4,000 - 6,000
宋 半月形鳥紋金耳環一對
十至十四世紀 仙人雲紋金耳環一對
Simple crescent moon-shaped earrings represent one of the distinctive
jewelry designs during the Song dynasty. For further discussion on In Zhongguo Gudai Jinyin Shoushi (Beijing: Gugong, 2014), Yang
this subject，refer to Zhongguo Gudai Jinyin Shoushi, Yang Zhishui Zhishui states that earrings carrying the images of young boys or
(Beijing: Gugong, 2014), vol. 1, p. 282. celestial figures were favored during the Song and Yuan dynasties.
The popularity of such themes continued into the Ming dynasty (vol.
Compare a similar example in Ancient Chinese Gold Earrings, The 2, p. 614). In his book Yang refers to two pairs of earrings, both
Cheng Xun Tang Collection, Xu Xiadong (Hong Kong, Arts of Asia, featuring a figurine design, excavated from the same Ming burial site in
2006), vol. 36, no. 6, p. 75, pl. 10. Also, a related pair of earrings was Daqiangmen, Wuxi.One pair was made in gold, the other in gold inset
referred in The Art of the Chinese Goldsmith, The Cheng Xun Tang with jade (p. 615, pl. 6.19.1 & 6.19.2).
Collection (Hong Kong: Art Museum, The Institute of Chinese Studies,
The Chinese University Hong Kong, 2007), The referred pair was found Refer to a set of eight small gold ornaments depicting the Eight Daoist
from a Northern Song Tomb dated to 1090 CE in Pengze, Jiangxi Immortals, originally applied to a gold headband that belonged to
Province (Part II, pp. 216-217, no. D19). a Ming dynasty princess. The figurines were unearthed in Jiangxi
Province and published in Chinese Gold Ornaments, Simon Kwan and
Sun Ji (Hong Kong: Muwen Tang Fine Art Publication Ltd., 2003), pp.
470-471, pl. 311. Deity images were often utilized during the Ming
dynasty to ornament gold jewelries. Compare also lot 318 in this sale,
a pair of Ming dynasty gold ‘figural’ earring pendants. The figures are
depicted in a lively and yet austere fashion, exhibiting some similarities
with the style of the present earrings.

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