Page 120 - Christies King St. FINE CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART

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AN EXTREMELY RARE IMPERIAL GILT-BRONZE ‘DRAGON’ RITUAL BELL, BIANZHONG

KANGXI CAST MARKS, CORRESPONDING TO 1716, AND OF THE PERIOD

清康熙 御製鎏金銅交龍鈕雲龍紋「倍南呂」編鐘
鑄《康熙五十五年製》楷書銘款

The bell is exquisitely cast with a handle shaped as a pair of dragons. Each beast is powerfully modelled with its mouth open to reveal
its tongue between sharp fangs, with two long horns extending back over its head along a fnely incised mane, and the large claws
clutching the barrel-shaped body of the bell. The sides of the bell are fnely cast in high relief around the mid-section, depicting two
further dragons striding amidst cloud scrolls and waves clutching a faming pearl, divided by two rectangular panels, one inscribed
with the characters Kangxi wu shi wu nian zhi, ‘Made in the 55th year of Kangxi reign’, and the other with the characters pei (usually
pronounced as bei) nan lu, indicating that this is one of the bells for lower octaves.

12 in. (30.5 cm.) high

£300,000-600,000 $460,000-910,000
€410,000-820,000

PROVENANCE:

From a private German collection, acquired in the early 20th century.

來源:德國私人舊藏， 購於二十世紀初

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