Page 65 - Sotheby's Part II Collection of Sir Joeseph Hotung Collection CHINESE ART , Oct. 9, 2022

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؇ ڡ A BRONZE FIGURE STANDING ON A CROUCHING BEAST,
մ ზ EASTERN ZHOU DYNASTY, WARRING STATES PERIOD
኷ ය the man with a composed facial expression, detailed with alert eyes and a short moustache, his hair neatly tied under a top hat secured

਷ ᖕ by strings knotted under the chin, wearing a long loosely-fitted robe of thick fabric and a wide belt, his hands grasping a cylindrical
ࣛ ͭ vessel in front of the chest, standing solemnly atop of a bear-like beast, the animal depicted with friendly eyes, plump cheeks, rounded
ears and a short bushy tail, crouching foursquare with strong limbs and thick paws
ಂ ɛ 22.8 cm
ዱ PROVENANCE Ը๕j
ࢭ J.J. Lally & Co., New York, 10th February 1992. ᔝଣઠdॲߒd1992ϋ2˜10˚
EXHIBITED ࢝ᚎj
Chinese Archaic Bronzes, Sculpture and Works of Art, J.J. Lally & Chinese Archaic Bronzes, Sculpture and Works of Art‘d
Co., New York, 1992.
ᔝଣઠdॲߒd1992ϋ
LITERATURE
̈وj
Chinese Archaic Bronzes, Sculpture and Works of Art, J.J. Lally &
Co., New York, 1992, cat. no. 28 and cover. Chinese Archaic Bronzes, Sculpture and Works of Art‘d
ᔝଣઠdॲߒd1992ϋdᇜ໮28ʿ܆ࠦ
HK$ 500,000-700,000
US$ 64,000-89,500

The present figure with outstretched arms is holding a short cylinder, яͭɛًfɛᑕφ෥d৷޵d̉଻dɽᄀdव᛫d᎘௟Ҽቻ੭
probably made to receive the peg of an oil lamp. Wearing an ڿdɓਉౢᔇd᎕ڷᕐૢ੭ЪɛοҖഐ׵঍ۃdԒഹ॥ஙથᇬ
elaborate headdress and a long robe fastened with a sash below சd㞣߈ڗཀྵdᕐϗ䆙ৎۃ͡d˓౛ܵዱݛdχͭ׵ɓۋਘᖕߠ
the waist, the figure has a carefully articulated face with an intent ʘɪf༈ዱࢭணࠇйՈΘːdᛟிၚԄdɛګҖ൥࣯࣯ν͛d˸
expression. It appears to be a realistic representation of a man of Ϳᖕމኜֵdᖢ֛ێࠠۍɦᄣ૴఻ʱ͛ਗจሳdፄ̌ঐ׌ၾᖵஔ
high social status, but the crouching beast under his feet suggests a ׌މɓ᜗f
religious or mythological meaning to the sculpture.
ਞ޶ئی޲ɧژࢠɪӀᏊ̈ɺٙɓ΁኷਷ʕૉಂڡზ༬ɛዱd
A Warring States period bronze lamp modelled as a kneeling man ତᔛئی޲௹ي᎜dՉɛي᎘ུʿҼቻ˙όၾ͉ۜᗳЧdԈԸ
with similar facial features, also wearing a headdress and a robe and ਷Ꮂd”Uses of the Human Figure in Early Chinese Art•
upholding an oil dish with a forked support was excavated from dChinese Bronzes: Selected Articles from Orientations
Shangcunling, Sanmenxia, Henan, and illustrated in Guolong Lai, 1983-2000‘d࠰ಥd2001ϋdࠫ326-32dྡ9f̤ԈΝഹ፽ྡ
'Uses of the Human Figure in Early Chinese Art', Chinese Bronzes: 8ᔛ׵׼̵ڛتл౶ߕஔ᎜ٙɓ΁ᗳЧ༬Ѭɛዱࢭdዱᆵʊ̰d
Selected Articles from Orientations 1983-2000, Hong Kong, 2001, ϤዱࢭኽෂމئیݾජږӀ؇մˮ௒̈ɺf׼̵ڛتл౶ߕஔ᎜
pp. 326-32, fig. 9. Another similar kneeling figure, holding a small ͵ᔛ̤̮ɓ΁፹ږვڡზ༬ѬɛዱࢭdਬɛҖһމऊᆰdᇜ໮
tube in its hands, presumably to be used as a receptacle of a now- 2003.140.3fܠ๕ੀᔚᔛɓԷdԈږ˝˥˦ɺj࠰ಥ˖يϗᔛ
missing oil lamp, is in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, accession no. ၚۜ࢝‘d࠰ಥᖵஔ᎜d2002-06ϋdܝਯ׵ॲߒԳɻ੻2010ϋ
50.46.114, and illustrated ibid., fig. 8. It was reputedly unearthed from 9˜16˚dᇜ໮897f
Jincun near Luoyang, Henan, where a cemetery of the royal family
of the Eastern Zhou is believed to be located. An inlay-decorated
standing figure wearing a headdress and a long robe, but of a more
slender build, is also in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, accession no.
2003.140.3. Compare a further bronze kneeling lamp bearer from the
collection of Anthony Hardy, exhibited in Metal, Wood, Water, Fire
and Earth, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong 2002-06, and
sold at Christie's New York, 16th September 2010, lot 897.

128 I FOR COMPLETE CATALOGUING ༉းྡ፽ʫ࢙ሗᓭᚎ SOTHEBYS.COM/HK1292 THE PERSONAL COLLECTION OF THE LATE SIR JOSEPH HOTUNG I 129