Page 53 - 2019 September 12th Christie's New York Chiense Art Masterpieces of Chinese Gold and Silver

515

A VERY FINE GOLD HARNESS ORNAMENT
LATE WARRING STATES PERIOD-HAN DYNASTY, 3RD-2ND
CENTURY BC
The domed ornament is cast as three dragons, their bodies elegantly Another from the Frederick M. Mayer Collection of Chinese Art, was
interlaced to form the outline. There are three attachment loops on the sold at Christie’s London, 24-25 June, 1974, lot 148. Two related gold
concave reverse. ornaments, cast as two closely intertwined dragons, described as
probably horse trappings, are illustrated in Inlaid bronze and related
1¡ in. (3.6 cm.) wide; weight 49.2 g
material from pre-Tang China, Eskenazi, London, June-July 1991, no. 26.
$20,000-30,000 The reverse of one has two parallel curved struts. The entry also notes
similar gold fttings of slightly earlier date, unearthed in 1980 from tomb
number 2 at Qinshihuang’s burial site, illustrated in Qin ling er hao tong
PROVENANCE
che ma (Bronze Chariot and Horses - no. 2 from Qinshihuang’s Tomb),
Dr. Johan Carl Kempe (1884-1967) Collection, Sweden, before 1953, Beijing, 1983, pl. 14, fg. 3, p. 32, fgs. 6, 7 and 8, and p. 34, fg. 2, where it
no. CK11. is stated that they were used as harness fttings.
Sotheby’s London, Masterpieces of Chinese Precious Metalwork.
Early Gold and Silver, 14 May 2008, lot 7. 戰國晚朝/漢 鑄金蟠龍紋鈕飾

EXHIBITED
Washington, D.C., Smithsonian Institution, Chinese Gold & Silver in the
Carl Kempe Collection, 1954-55, cat. no. 11.

LITERATURE
Bo Gyllensvärd, Chinese Gold & Silver in the Carl Kempe Collection,
Stockholm, 1953, cat. no. 11.
Chinese Gold & Silver in the Carl Kempe Collection, The Museum of Art
and Far Eastern Antiquities in Ulricehamn, Ulricehamn, 1999, pl. 11.
An identical gold ornament in the collection of Mr. and Mrs. Richard C.
Bull, was sold at Sotheby’s New York, 6 December 1983, lot 70. Like
the present example, it has three attachment loops on the reverse.
Fig. 1 A gold applique, Han dynasty
(206 BC – AD 220). Purchase,
Arthur M. Sackler Gift, 1974.
© The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

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