Page 158 - Sotheby's Junkunc Collection March 2019

135 A RARE GOLD AND SILVER-INLAID BRONZE ‘MYTHICAL BEAST’ FINIAL
WARRING STATES PERIOD - HAN DYNASTY
戰國至漢 銅錯金銀獸面紋鏤空鎏金瑞獸鈕杖首

the tall socket of oval section, finely decorated in gold and silver inlay around the exterior with a pair of stylized beast masks,
each detailed with rounded eyes and upright curled horns, all surmounted by a coiled beast in gilt, with a feline head, powerful
claws, and a long tail, the surface with minor areas of malachite encrustation

Height 2½ in., 6.5 cm
$ 12,000-15,000

PROVENANCE 來源
Collection of Stephen Junkunc, III (d. 1978). 史蒂芬•瓊肯三世（1978年逝）收藏

Finials of this type are believed to have been used crowning ceremonial poles or weapons, possibly together with a
matching ferrule to cap the foot. The present finial, with its intricate design of a mythical beast on top, is extremely
rare. No other comparable examples appear to be published. See a related Warring States gold and silver-inlaid finial,
in the form of a bird perching on top of a dragon head, included in the exhibition “Animal Style” Art from East to West,
Asia House Gallery, New York, 1970, cat. no. 74; another finial, made of gold, in the form of a dragon head, from the
collection of Frank Caro, exhibited in Mostra d’arte Cinese [Exhibition of Chinese art], Venice, 1954, cat. no. 101. Most
extant examples of this type are bird-form finials, such as one exhibited in Ausstellung Chinesischer Kunst [Exhibition
of Chinese art], Berlin, 1929, cat. no. 74; one from the Robert H. Ellsworth Collection, sold together with its matching
ferrule in these rooms, 19th March 2002, lot 99; one from the Erwin Harris Collection, sold at Christie’s New York,
16th March 2017, lot 871; two sold at Bonham’s, one in New York, 16th March 2015, lot 2001, and the other in London,
12th May 2016, lot 6; and another in the National Museum of History, Taipei, acc. no. 86-00103.

此類品應飾於禮器執杖或兵刃頂部，應與鐏成套使用。 Chinesischer Kunst 》，柏林，1929年，編號74；另一
本品杖首精飾瑞獸鈕及獸面紋，極為珍罕，現時記載並 連鐏例出自安思遠收藏，售於紐約蘇富比2002年3月19
無例可比。比較一戰國時代嵌金銀例，刻畫靈鳥立於龍 日，編號99；再比一例，出自 Erwin Harris 收藏，曾售
首，曾展於《“Animal Style” Art from East to West》 於紐約佳士得2017年3月16日，編號871；邦瀚斯亦曾售
，Asia House Gallery，紐約，1970年，編號74；另一 兩例，其一售於紐約2015年3月16日，編號2001，另一例
金杖首例，呈龍首形，出自弗蘭克•卡羅收藏，曾展於 售於倫敦2016年5月12日，編號6；台北故宮博物院亦收
《Mostra d’arte Cinese》，威尼斯，1954年，編號 藏一例，藏品編號86-00103。
101。現存此類杖首多為鳥形，一例曾展於《Ausstellung

156 JUNKUNC: ARTS OF ANCIENT CHINA