Page 76 - Bonhams Chinese Art March 2016 New York
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TWO BRONZE ANIMAL FIGURES A RARE AND MASSIVE BRONZE FIGURE OF A QILIN
Song/Ming dynasty Late Ming/ early Qing dynasty
The first, a standing ram, crisply cast and assuming an elegant pose, Well cast, the mythical beast sitting in a proud stance, the hind legs
with head turned back towards the tail, the second, a recumbent qilin bent and front paws stretched forward, it’s head tossed back, jaws
of delicate proportions, both with dark, warm patina to the surface. gaping in a fierce roar, displaying large fangs and an extended tongue,
4in (10cm) height of the ram the mouth framed by long, trailing whiskers and large, bulging eyes
$4,000 - 6,000 below a strong brow, with pricked ears and a pair of multi-pronged,
curving horns, with a highly detailed, curling beard, leading to a
宋或明 青銅獸形擺飾兩件 windswept mane, with a collar around its neck decorated with a bell
and tassels, the powerful scaled body with an articulated, spiked
Provenance spine, the chest, haunches, back and underbelly all engulfed in flames,
The ram, Leslie Hindman, Chicago, 25 January 2010 lot 785 the body also wreathed with trailing vines, leaves, lingzhi and cloud
The qilin, Alexander Gallery, New York scroll, supported on furry, hoofed legs, with a large, reticulated tail
formed into a swirling, upright mass of numerous curls, the underside
The style and casting of the ram are very close to that of a bronze open to the interior showing remains of casting material.
figure of a ram, dated Ming dynasty, sold in our London rooms, 9 22 1/2 in (57.2 cm) high
November 2015, sale 22658, lot 321. The depiction of the qilin bears $20,000 - 30,000
remarkable similarities to a drawing of such a beast printed in Sancai
Tuhui (三才圖會), published in 1609. A bronze mirror stand, also dated 晚明或早清 青銅麒麟像
Ming dynasty and with very similar style and casting, was sold in our
London rooms, 19 February 2015, sale 21620, lot 196. A related bronze qilin, with similar form, of smaller size and lacking the
foliate and lingzhi decoration, also with a hollow tail, was sold in our
Hong Kong rooms, 26 May 2013, sale 20955, lot 368. A stylistically
similar bronze figure of a qilin of diminutive size was sold at Christie’s
New York, 16 September 2010, sale 2339, lot 1025.
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