Page 12 - Christie's Asia Week March 2024 Chinese Art

IMPORTANT CHINESE ART INCLUDING THE COLLECTION OF DOROTHY TAPPER GOLDMAN

Property from the Collection of Dorothy Tapper Goldman
801
A VERY RARE GILT-BRONZE 'GOOSE-NECK' 高曼珍藏
VESSEL 東漢 鎏金銅鳧首曲頸ૐ
EASTERN HAN DYNASTY (AD 25-220) Ϝ源
重要日本珍藏，Ն藏於1989年
14¡ in. (36.5 cm.) high, Japanese wood box
紐☼ωૈ得，2002年3月21日，拍品編號80
$50,000-70,000
PROVENANCE:
Important Japanese collection, acquired in 1989.
Christie's New York, 21 March 2002, lot 80.

Early bronze vessels of this unusual and graceful shape are quite rare, A similarly rendered goose head and neck can be seen forming the
and a gilt-bronze example especially rare. A Han-dynasty bronze hook on garment hooks of the late Warring States-Western Han
nd
rd
example of the same size, but with some abstract detailing to the head, period, 3 -2 century BC, such as the gold example from the Johan
was included in the exhibition, Bestiaire, Beurdeley & cie, Paris, March Carl Kempe Collection sold at Christie’s New York, Masterpieces of
1993, no. 15. Sir Percival David in 'Hsiang and His Album', T.O.C.S., Early Chinese Gold and Silver, 12 September 2019, lot 508, and the
1933-34, vol. 11, pp. 22-47, reproduces, pl. XVIII, fig. 29, a page from gilt-bronze example dated late Warring States-early Western Han, 3rd
the album that illustrates a bronze vessel of this form and a later 'black century BC, illustrated by T. Lawton in Chinese Art of the Warring
Ding' rendition. The drawing of the vessel on the left is from the States Period, Freer Gallery of Art, 1982, p. 126, no. 74.
Xuanhe bogu tulu (Illustrated Description of Antiquities in the Imperial
Collection in the Xuanhe period [1119-26]), vol. XII, no. 38, showing that The form of the current vessel and others like it served as inspiration
as early as the Song dynasty vessels of this form had been excavated. A for artisans of subsequent periods and was reproduced in a variety
line drawing of a similar Han ‘goose-neck’ vessel is illustrated in vol. 21, of materials. For vessel of this form in cloisonne enamel, see the
no. 5, of the Xiqing gujian, a 40-volume illustrated catalogue of ancient Qianlong-period ‘duck-head’ bottle from the collection of David B.
bronzes commissioned by the Qianlong Emperor. (Fig. 1) Compiled Peck III sold at Christie’s New York, Rivers of Color, Chinese Cloisonne
between 1749 and 1755, it includes some 1,529 bronze objects from the Enamels from Private American Collections, 18 September 2014, lot
imperial collection. 620. (Fig. 2) For a porcelain vessel of this form, see the Kangxi-period
celadon-glazed vase in the W. T. Walters Collection illustrated by S. W.
Bushell in Oriental Ceramic Art, New York, 1980 ed., p. 83.

Fig. 1 A line drawing of a comparable vessel illustrated in Xiqing Gujian (complied by 1755), vol.21, no. 5. Fig. 2 A rare cloisonné enamel ‘duck-head’ bottle, Qianlong
圖ˏ Ǘ西清۵鑒ǘ， 年，卷 ，編號 ，線描圖參照例 period (1736-1795), sold at Christie’s New York,
18 September 2014, lot 620.
圖̣ 掐絲琺瑯鳧首曲頸ૐ，清̖隆，
紐☼ωૈ得， 年 月 日，拍品編號

10