Page 60 - Ancient Chinese Bronzes, 2011, J.J. Lally, New York

27. A G o l d - a n d S i l v e r - I n l a i d B r o n z e ‘ P h o e n i x ’ F i n i a l
Warring States Period (475–221 B.C.)

the mythical bird with crested head held high, decorated with gold scroll motifs on the hooked beak
and on the sides of the head around raised silver bosses, the circular eyes inlaid in gold and with a
gold collar around the top of the neck, the underside of the body, neck, and tail elaborately decorated
with thick and thin interlaced scroll motifs joined by oblique double-lines, the design observing
strict bilateral symmetry throughout and continuing over the slender legs of the bird with talons
extended on either side of the cylindrical socket, grasping the raised circular band around the holes for
the mounting-pins, the back of the plump ovoid body of the bird paved with gold and silver segments
in recessed channels on the overlapping wings and with silver scale pattern at the center of the
back, the long tail decorated with silver ‘eyes’ in gold stylized feathers on either side of silver-inlaid
‘D’-shaped motifs in a repeating pattern, the bronze with smooth dark patination showing strong
contrast with the precious metal inlays, the surface with widely scattered malachite green corrosion.
1
Length 6 ⁄2 inches (16.5 cm)
Compare the silver-inlaid bronze ‘phoenix’ finial of smaller size in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated
in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Bronze Articles for Daily Use, Hong Kong, 2007, p. 35, no. 31.
Compare also the silver-inlaid bronze ‘phoenix’ finial illustrated by Rawson and Bunker in the special exhibition and catalogue
organized by the Oriental Ceramic Society of Hong Kong, Ancient Chinese and Ordos Bronzes, Hong Kong, 1990, no. 81.
戰國 錯金銀鳳鳥銅杖首 長 16.5 厘米