Page 12 - Bonhams Fine Chinese Art November 2018

102
A LARGE GREEN-GLAZED POTTERY
THREE-STOREY WATCHTOWER
Eastern Han Dynasty
The square building rising on sturdy stilts from
a circular pond of ducks, fish and geese within
a straight-sided circular basin ending with an
everted rim, the upper storeys with figures holding
crossbows and curved knives, standing on the
openwork balconies, beneath overhanging ridged
roofs, covered overall with a rich olive-green glaze
with patches displaying a brilliant silver iridescence.
77cm (30 3/8in) high.

£6,000 - 8,000
CNY54,000 - 72,000

東漢 原始青瓷樓閣式瞭望塔

Pottery models of watchtowers and pavilions
were typically manufactured for internment in the
highest-ranking tombs of the Eastern Han dynasty
and greatly varied in height, number of storeys,
architectural features and types of animals and
human figures portrayed. During this time, improved
methods of construction involving the use bricks
and wood made it possible to devise tall towers.
While some of the towers dating to this period were
heavily fortified and thus constructed for security
purposes, others were surrounded by animals
and birds, such as the present one, and appear to
represent pleasure pavilions for the Han elites to
engage in hunting game birds.

Compare with a green-glazed model of a
watchtower, Eastern Han dynasty, in the Cleveland
Art Museum, Ohio, acc.no.1989.71. A similar
green-glazed pottery of a watchtower was sold at
Sotheby’s New York, 20 March 2002, lot 37.

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