A RARE BRONZE FIGURAL SUPPORT

HAN DYNASTY, SOUTHWEST CHINA, CIRCA 1ST CENTURY BC/1ST CENTURY AD

Details

A RARE BRONZE FIGURAL SUPPORT
HAN DYNASTY, SOUTHWEST CHINA, CIRCA 1ST CENTURY BC/1ST CENTURY AD
Cast as a kneeling man wearing only a loincloth, with left hand placed on his hip, the right hand held forward to hold a spear, his rather flat face with broad nose, large almond-shaped eyes and simply indicated mustache and beard flanked by projecting ears, his hair formed by coiled S-curls within linear borders below a tubular collar, with a small hole for attachment in the bottom of the left knee
Figure 4 5/8 in. (11.7 cm.) high

Provenance

Acquired in Hong Kong, 1992.

Exhibited

The Glorious Traditions of Chinese Bronzes, Singapore, 2000, no. 99.
Metal, Wood, Water, Fire and Earth, Hong Kong Museum of Art, 2002-2006.

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Lot Essay

Figures of this type are rare, however, a similar kneeling figure was sold in these rooms, 17 September 2008, lot 367. Like the present figure, it too was naked, except for a loincloth, and the facial features, ears and S-curls were also similar. There was a collared aperture in the top of the head and the hands were held forward holding a tubular receptacle. Both figures appear to be some kind of support, probably for oil lamps. Compare, also, the figure riding a chimera, dated to the Han dynasty, included in the exhibition, Arts of Ancient China, J.J. Lally & Co., New York, 31 May-23 June 1990, no. 9; and the similar kneeling figure from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, sold in these rooms, 14 September 2009, lot 24.

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