Page 84 - Bonhams Fine Chinese Art London Nov. 2019

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A RARE PAIR OF RED-GROUND AND GOLD FOIL
EMBROIDERED SILK ‘PHOENIX’ BANNERS
Liao Dynasty
Each banner delicately embroidered with three phoenix, the central
one depicted standing facing outward, between two further phoenix
depicted in flight with outspread wings and trailing long, flowing tail
feathers, framed and glazed.
Each 101cm (39 3/4in) long (3).

£20,000 - 30,000
CNY180,000 - 270,000

遼 紅地繡金絲彩鳳紋幡一對

Provenance: Eskenazi Ltd., London, 20 March 1998
John J. Studzinski CBE, London

來源：英國倫敦古董商，Eskenazi Ltd.，1998年3月20日
大英帝國司令勳章受勳者John J. Studzinski珍藏

Phoenixes were traditionally associated with the figure of the empress
in China. According to the ‘Classic of Mountains and Seas’, Shanhai
jing, compiled during the Han dynasty, the mythical birds were
amongst the fantastic creatures inhabiting the immortal lands of the
Queen Mother of the West, and embodied all the qualities a queen
must possess, such as benevolence, righteousness, propriety,
wisdom, and sincerity; see J.Rawson, Chinese Ornament: The lotus
and the Dragon, London, 1984, pp.99-107.

The tomb of Princess Chen (d.1080), excavated in Inner Mongolia,
yielded a large variety of personal accoutrements made of precious
materials such as gold, silver and brocaded silks decorated with
scrolling phoenixes. In particular, the peacock-like tailed phoenix,
noted on this lot, is very similar to the phoenix decorating a silver
saddle found in this burial, illustrated in the Research Institute of
Cultural Relics and Archaeology of Inner Mongolia, The Tomb of
Liao Princess Chen, Beijing, 1993, pl.XXXII, no.1. In addition, the
stylistic convention of surrounding phoenix with serpentine-like
clouds, reminiscent of scrolling tendrils, can also be noted on a gold
headdress and a pair of gilded silver boots, excavated from the same
site, illustrated in ibid., pl.VIII, no.1 and pl.XVI, no.1.

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot
82 | BONHAMS please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.