Page 126 - Deydier The_Lippens_Collection_of_Ancient_Chinese_Bronzes

35 – bronze taotie mask 36 – bronze taotie mask
LATE SHANG DYNASTY LATE SHANG DYNASTY,
12 / 11 CENTURY B. C. 12 – 11 CENTURY B. C.
TH
TH
TH
TH
H.: 16 CM L.: 21.4 CM H.: 15 CM L.: 19.5 CM
Extremely rare taotie mask cast in the shape of a human face. The SIMILAR EXAMPLES Large fox-face-like taotie mask attractively cast with two slightly SIMILAR EXAMPLE
two round eyes in openwork are topped by attractively cast thick downwardly slanting, pierced, bulging eyes, a wide upper jaw, a
eyebrows in high relief. A large round and powerful nose in high – Similar masks are illustrated in Qianzhangda Cemetery in Teng- small wide nose, two lateral leaf-shaped ears and two powerful – A very similar taotie mask now in the Honolulu Academy of Arts
relief juts out above the figure’s wide, teeth-filled mouth. Each side zhou, Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, upcurved bovine horns. is illustrated in Ancient Chinese Bronzes, Ceramics and Jade in the
of the face is graced by a leaf-shaped ear. The top of the head is Beijing 2005, pl. 47 and p. 598-605. The mask has a nice green patina. Collection of the Honolulu Academy of Arts, Honolulu 1979, p. 95,
embellished with two large spirals which may represent a hairstyle – Another similar mask from the Meiyintang Collection is published no. 36.
or a pair of large curled horns. The mask has a green patina. by Wang Tao, Chinese Bronzes from the Meiyintang Collection, PROVENANCE
London 2009, cat. no. 137.
PROVENANCE – Galerie Christian Deydier, Paris, France.
– Count & Countess Paul Lippens Collection, Brussels, Belgium, 2007.
– Galerie Christian Deydier, Paris, France.
– Count & Countess Paul Lippens Collection, Brussels, Belgium, 2009.

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