Page 15 - Avery Brundage Ancient Bronzes and Collecting Biography

The spirit of risk-taking was manifested also in other objects that Brundage acquired,
for example, the oldest known dated Chinese Buddha figure (fig. 8.14). This was said
to have been accidentally found in the 1860s among a cache of bronze Buddhist figures
located on a riverbank that had eroded heavily after a violent rainstorm, exposing the
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object after centuries of undisturbed burial. Without stylistic counterparts from scien-
tific excavations at that time, it was suspected of having a spurious inscription added in
modern times. This suspicion had swirled about in the Asian art community ever since
1942, when the object made its debut at the Detroit Institute of Art, on loan from the in-
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ternationally known dealer C. T. Loo (1880–1957). Brundage acquired it nevertheless,
and conservation examination finally proved that it was authentic.
Another example is a batch of eight pottery tiles (fig. 8.15), which, Bartholomew says,
“depict lions, male figures, and Tang-style dancing foreigners.” She continues:

They appear as powerful images, and one could see how Avery Brundage would be at-
tracted to them. During the 1960s, many scholars came to see the Brundage Collection,
and after examining these tiles, were uniformly opposed to them. . . . Thus the tiles lay
buried in storage until 1979, when Wenwu magazine (the foremost art historical maga-
zine of China) published an article on a temple in Henan province named Xiuding si,
some twenty-three kilometers from Anyang. This temple was first established in the
late 5th century ad, but was renovated and resurfaced under the imperial decree of the
Tang Emperor Taizong, who reigned between 629 and 649. The pagoda was faced with
over 3000 tiles, some of them identical to the ones in the AAM [Asian Art Museum].
. . . during the 1920s, they were looted in large numbers because of their commercial
value. . . . When the report came out in 1979, Mr. B’s faith in the tiles and the curator’s
search for more knowledge were rewarded. They are Tang tiles of the second quarter of
the 7th century ad. 41

Once again, as in his sports career, Avery Brundage demonstrated resolve in taking risks
in collecting art. The bronze rhinoceros fits nicely into the template of Brundage’s ad-
venturous acquisition.
Let us look at the rhinoceros again. While it is unique, the vessel is nevertheless re-
lated to other bronzes in several aspects, and it is those connections that help ascertain
the authenticity of the vessel. The rhinoceros was a functional vessel, with a rounded
cavity serving as a container. This is routine among animal-shaped bronzes of the time.
The quadruped and the elephant mentioned earlier (figs. 8.7, 8.8) were also vessels.
X-rays of the rhinoceros show that it was cast in one piece, presumably by the clay
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section-mold technique typical of ancient China. Two cores were used, corresponding
to the cavity in the belly and to the opening space inside the muzzle (fig. 8.1j). Spacers,
again a typical feature, can be found in the sides as well as in the bottom, surrounding
the inscription that was cast at the same time as the vessel (fig. 8.1k). Another important
feature is the numerous casting repairs seen on the vessel (fig. 8.1l). These casting fea-
tures of the rhinoceros leave little doubt that the vessel is an authentic object.

A Unique Pair: The Bronze Rhinoceros and Its Collector, Avery Brundage 215