Page 359 - Bonhams Fine Chinese Art Nov 2013 Hong Kong

554
An archaic bronze and gold-inlaid crossbow fitting

Han dynasty

Originally fitted at the butt of the crossbow for support and comfort, the

exterior with a raised bridge with archaistic decorative motif, flanked by

further scene of two figures at the sides, all bordered with a geometric

frieze and in gold inlay.
5.9cm high.
HK$50,000 - 80,000
US$6,500 - 10,000

漢 錯金弩機銅飾

An example similar to the current lot was unearthed in 1975, excavated
within a Warring States chariot ditch at Luoyang, Henan province.
For more information, see Archaeology, 1974, Vol.3, pl.3, no.1; for a
comprehensive diagram, see Archaeology, 1974, Vol.3, p.174, pl.3, no.2.

Another example is also illustrated by J.J. Lally, Bronze and Gold in
Ancient China, New York, 2003, no.14. See also another example in
the Pierre Uldry collection, in the Rietberg Museum, Zurich, illustrated in
Chinesisches Gold und Silber, Zurich, 1994, p.87, no.28b.

銅飾呈長矩形，圓角，一面開空，以作插入木弩機末端之用，器底部另
有一小穿，以便置木板機。通體錯金，正反面均描繪出一人頭帶長帽，
面長鬍子，手執繩帶，腳踏前之動物，有趣生動。

1972年於河南省洛陽市中州路出土之戰國時期車馬坑內，發現一件與
本拍品造型十分相近的弩機銅飾，該飾件還安插在弩機上，說明了此類
飾件之用途。見《考古》，1974，第3期，圖版3，編號1，線圖可參考
同書，頁174，圖版3，編號2。其他例子可參考J.J. Lally，《Bronze and
Gold in Ancient China》，紐約，2003，編號14。

555 554
An archaic bronze and gold-inlaid crossbow trigger mechanism

Eastern Han dynasty

Fashioned in various parts assembled into a complex mechanism

held together using two bolts, the trigger fitting with a gold-inlaid

zoomorphic motif towards the handle and another smaller but similar

motif at the upper surface.
16.3cm long.
HK$20,000 - 40,000
US$2,600 - 5,200

東漢 錯金青銅弩機

The use of crossbows appeared particularly early in Chinese history,
where the earliest bronze crossbow mechanism was discovered in a Chu
tomb at Changsha, Hunan province, which dates back to the late Spring
and Autumn period. The use of the crossbow became popular towards
the Warring States period.

Crossbows used during these periods have no mechanism hosts, but
rather used a simple release nut, trigger and scope, as with the current
lot. The vertical scope serves as a simple and effective range finder but
the elegant inlaid gold accentuated the status of the owner of this
device.

Compare a similar crossbow trigger mechanism in the C.H. Wang
collection, illustrated in Shang and Zhou Chinese Bronze Weaponry,
Taipei, 1993, p.298, no.114. See also another example in the collection
of Katherine and George Fan, illustrated in Ancient Chinese Bronzes
from the Shouyang Studio. The Katherine and George Fan Collection,
Shanghai, 2008, pp.188-189, no.70. See also another excavated
crossbow trigger mechanism dated to the Han dynasty, in the Suide
County Museum, Shaanxi province, illustrated in Bronzes from Northern
Shaanxi. Volume IV, Chengdu, 2009, p.641, accession no.TD414.

555

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