Page 224 - Bonhams Asian Art May 15-16 2023

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A POTTERY ‘ACROBATS’ TRIPOD INCENSE BURNER A GREEN GLAZED GRANARY JAR AND COVER AND A GREEN
Han Dynasty GLAZED POTTERY MODEL OF A GRANARY
The three figures positioned in a vertical formation performing Han Dynasty
the handstand, two with their arms resting on the rims of the lian The jar raised on three animal form feet, the ribbed cylindrical body
vessel below them, the third with his arms grasping the legs of the terminating in a sloping tiled roof and cover; the granary also raised
other performers, the vessel of cylindrical shape with straight sides on four stylised crouching animal feet, a figure seated at the open
supported by three cabriole legs. 26cm (10 1/4in) high window surrounded by an incised trellis pattern frame below the
sloping roof, fitted boxes.
£1,000 - 1,500 The jar: 39cm (15 3/8in) high (5).
HK$9,700 - 15,000
CNY8,500 - 13,000 £500 - 700
HK$4,900 - 6,800
Provenance CNY4,300 - 6,000
Roger Keverne Ltd., Summer 2009, London, no.25
613
Oxford Authentication report C208d68 is consistent with the A PAINTED POTTERY COCOON JAR
dating of this lot. Han Dynasty
Decorated in red, white and black pigments with swirling foliate and
Pottery figures of entertainers including musicians, dancers, story linear designs.
tellers and acrobats, played a very important part in court life of the 30.5cm (12in) wide
Han period. These figures were positioned in a complex of furnishing
aimed at sustaining the tomb occupants in their afterlife existence.
Small figures of acrobats similar to the present figures can be seen £800 - 1,200
doing handstands on the edges of lian vessels. See for example the HK$7,800 - 12,000
pottery group of acrobats, Han dynasty, forming a pyramid atop a CNY6,800 - 10,000
lian unearthed in 1972, Luoyang City, Henan province, illustrated
in Treasures from the Han, The Empress Place, Singapore, 1990,
p.101. A pair of pottery acrobats performing a handstand, Han
dynasty, is in the collection of the Cernuschi Museum, Paris, acc.
no.M.C.9799.

A related group of pottery acrobats, Han dynasty, was sold at
Christie’s New York, 21 March 2000, lot 242.

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