Page 85 - Sotheby's Part II Collection of Sir Joeseph Hotung Collection CHINESE ART , Oct. 9, 2022
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The present figure, with distinctive facial features, is highly Ϥͭ྅ቃ࿊߉̈dۍ͊ϞᗳԷԈ༱dאމ֘ۜfՉɽЀe̶ᄀe
unusual and no other examples appear to be recorded. The ᄱᄘdۍၾ̬ʇɧ਼̈ɺڡზࠦՈʿͭ྅ϞᗳʘஈdԈᅰ
disproportionally large ears, prominent nose, and broad mouth, Է̈ɺڡზ᎘྅dᓙ˾ʮʩۃɤɧЇɤɚ˰ߏdϗɝᖯЬतg
however, recall the bronze masks and figures from the Sanxindui ԎࣸлdA Shang City in Sichuan ProvincedChinese
culture in Sichuan. A few excavated bronze heads dated to the Bronzes: Selected Articles from Orientations 1983-2000d
13th to 12th century BC are illustrated in Robert W. Bagley, ‘A ࠰ಥd2001ϋdࠫ122-137dྡ5-7e15-17dΝ༱৯Гᘒᕒ̈
Shang City in Sichuan Province’, Chinese Bronzes: Selected ɺٙՇڡზɛ྅dˉʂ༰ʃdϞڦɗႡߒʮʩۃɤ˰ߏdྡ
Articles from Orientations 1983-2000, Hong Kong, 2001, pp. 33-34f
122-137, figs 5-7, 15-17, together with two small bronze figures
with comparable facial features from Rujiazhuang, Baoji, Shaanxi, ථیࣜྐྵͩʆ̈ɺГմӲɾზ྅dʞᝈձᕐ˓۶࿒ɰၾϤڐd
attributed to c. 10th century BC, figs 33-34. ԈThe Chinese Bronzes of Yunnandࡐd1983ϋdྡو
174-175f
Compare also large Western Zhou bronze male and female
figures with similar facial features and loosely clasped hands, ᖯಌၾႷࣸίഹЪڡზၳߵʕ̈Ϥ྅ᑕd̙ၾλྥ
excavated from Mount Shizhai in Jinning, Yunan, included in The ̈ɺʃۨ͗ᎉˢ༰dνɓ͗༬ɛdϗɝਠˮ؛ɕၾΧλj
Chinese Bronzes of Yunnan, London, 1983, pls 174-175. ँਠସ˰˖ʷᖵஔत࢝d݂௹ي৫d̨̏d2012ϋdྡو
III-2fՇЗਖ਼ۍᚃܸdϤ྅ʞᝈאၾГմ༬ɛҖზԓᒍһ
Rawson and Bunker state in Ancient Chinese and Ordos Bronzes ྅dШܝ٫ᕐЀ༰dྡԈݾජ̏㜺ӀГմ፲ѧ1974ϋܓ೯
that the present figure resembles the small jade carvings from ઢᔊజd˖يd1981ϋdୋ7ಂdࠫ52-64dྡ7-1fശସ
the tomb of Fu Hao; see a jade kneeling figure included in ̦ಌ̵ኪึᒄдਔߕஔɰϞɓ༬ɛҖზԓᒍdᔛۜᇜ
King Wu Ding and Lady Hao. Art and Culture of the Late Shang S2012.9.617f
Dynasty, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2012, cat. no. III-2.
However, they find the facial features to be closer to those of
a Western Zhou dynasty bronze chariot fitting in the form of a
kneeling man (‘Luoyang Beiyaocun Xizhou yizhi 1974 niandu fajue
jianbao [1974 annual excavation report of the Western Zhou
dynasty site of Beiyao Village, Luoyang]’, Wenwu / Cultural
Relics, 1981, no. 7, pp. 52-64, fig. 7-1). The ears of the Luoyang
example are more rounded. A similar chariot axle cap linchpin,
also in the form of a kneeling figure, is in the Arthur M. Sackler
Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, accession no.
S2012.9.617.
168 I FOR COMPLETE CATALOGUING ༉းྡʫ࢙ሗᓭᚎ SOTHEBYS.COM/HK1292 THE PERSONAL COLLECTION OF THE LATE SIR JOSEPH HOTUNG I 169