Page 196 - Christie's, Important Chinese Works of Art, Hong Kong Dec 3 2021

THE PROPERTY OF A LADY
女史珍藏
3019
A MARBLE FIGURE OF A SEATED LION

TANG DYNASTY (618-907)
The ferocious muscular animal is carved seated on its haunches on a square base, its
powerful forelegs stretched before it. Its head facing forward, bulging eyes, and fangs
protruding from the mouth.
7¿ in. (18.2 cm.) high
HK$150,000-250,000
US$20,000-32,000

PROVENANCE
Kochukyo, Tokyo, acquired by he current owner in February 1990
A number of examples of stone and ceramic lions, a potent symbol of the majesty and strength
of the Tang, have survived. It has been suggested that the present example may originate from
Dingzhou, Hebei Province. Cf. another marble sculpture of a lion in the Nelson-Atkins Museum
of Fine Arts, Kansas City, illustrated in the Handbook of the Collection, vol. 2, p. 38, and by John
Hay, Masterpieces of Chinese Art, pl. 2. Another similar lion is illustrated by Shen Zhiyu, ed., The
Shanghai Museum of Art, no. 174. A limestone lion head with a similar expression was included
by Eskenazi in his exhibition Ancient Chinese Sculpture, 1978, Catalogue, no. 23.

唐 大理石坐獅
來源
壺中居，東京，1990 年 2 月

194