Page 116 - Bonhams NYC Chinese works of Art March 2019

PROPERTY OF DANE AND PETER FAY
631
A VERY RARE GOLD COMMEMORATIVE BRACELET
1839-1841
Made of solid gold, composed of two sections curved to fit the wrist The choice of designs is rife with meaning. Two facing butterflies,
and a slide clasp that secures into the front panel with two opposing hudie, symbolizes a joyful encounter, xi xiangfeng, referring either to
scalloped and two concave edges, constructed as a shallow container friends, or a husband and wife. Butterflies symbolize happiness and
holding an extraordinarily complex cannetille design of a central longevity, and placed among flowers symbolizes joy, love and good
peony, with butterflies above and below in spun, twisted, flattened and fortune, dielianhua. Together with a peony it implies, “May you have an
looped threads of gold and beading; the side sections composed of accumulation of blessings, wealth and high social status.” Each of the
twisted wires creating a basket weave patterned ground surrounding curved panels has an openwork reserve containing a tree squirrel and
openwork oval reserves of squirrels and grapes, flanked by two facing grapes, songshu putao, which imply a wish for ceaseless generations
butterflies of applied flattened gold wires, all set between narrow of sons and grandsons.
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openwork borders of dragons over cloud scrolls flanking the front
panel, the reverse engraved with a commemorative inscription. A very similar bracelet in the Walters Art Museum Baltimore, has no
18K gold, weight 52.40 grams maker’s mark or inscription and was until recently identified as French.
2in (5.1cm) high The front panel is a rounded octagon, the convex sides filled with
2 1/2in (6.4cm) diam. scrolling dragons chasing pearls, and the side reserves separated by
flower heads rather than butterflies. There is also another unmarked
2
$20,000 - 30,000 related example in the K. L. Leung Collection of Export Art. All three
appear to be by the same goldsmith.

1839-1841年 金纍絲花蝶龍紋紀念手鐲 Although undated, it is most likely that between 1839 and 1841
Chinese merchants in charge of the hongs of Canton presented the
Provenance: gold bracelet to Ellen Wayles Randolph Coolidge (1796-1876) and a
Dane and Peter Fay covered silver cup to her husband Joseph Coolidge (1798-1879), an
American merchant.

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