A Rare Painted Lead Dragon Head Fitting

HAN/SIX DYNASTIES

Details

A Rare Painted Lead Dragon Head Fitting
Han/Six Dynasties
Cast as the head of a ferocious dragon with jaws wide open exposing the rows of teeth and fangs protruding from below the rippling curl of the snout, the center of the head left open and with a socket from the back of the head into the lower jaw, painted in grey with red and black details
9½in. (24.2cm.) long, stand

Lot Essay

No other dragon head fitting made of painted lead appears to be published. Stylistically, however, the head is similar to the head of a dragon carved on a stone alcove ornament from Tianlongshan, dated Eastern Wei and illustrated in Ancient Chinese Arts in the Idemitsu Collection, Tokyo, 1989, no. 434. See, also, the gilt-bronze fitting dated late Six Dynasties included in the exhibition Chinese Works of Art, J.J. Lally & Co., 27 May - 18 June 1988, no. 41. The present example and the stone example have very similar eyes, rippled snout and elongated jaw, while the gilt-bronze example has similarly open, fanged jaws and fierce aspect.

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