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Lot Essay
A RARE TANG DYNASTY COPPER SPOUTED BOWL WITH PARCEL-GILT DECORATION
Rosemary Scott, Senior International Academic Consultant, Asian Art
This form is known as an yi 匜, and is a pouring vessel which has its origins in bronze vessels of the Zhou dynasty, when yi were usually made with a handle opposite a wider mouth, and standing on slim legs. These Zhou dynasty bronze yi are believed to be have been used for pouring water to wash the hands before performing rituals. By the Western Han dynasty some yi vessels were manufactured in silver, occasionally with gold decoration, and were made without handle or legs. Such a Han dynasty yi vessel was excavated in 1957 at Baoji 寶 雞 in Shaanxi province (illustrated in Charm and Brilliance – An Appraisal of the National Treasures in the Shaanxi History Museum – The Gold and Silver Wares 神韵與輝煌 陝西歷史博物館國寶鑒賞 金銀器卷, Xi’an, 2006, p. 142, no. 74). The shape evolved on metal wares of the Tang dynasty to a vessel which stood on a flared foot and had a more bowl-shaped body, which could be circular or petal-lobed – like the current example. These vessels are, however extremely rare either in silver or in copper, and the fact that the few extant examples are usually decorated with gold confirms their status as precious items.
A Tang dynasty silver five-lobed spouted bowl, standing on a high flared foot, with parcel-gilt decoration, was excavated at Lin’anxian 臨安縣, Zhejiang province from a tomb belonging to the Qiu 邱family (illustrated in Tang dai jin yin qi 唐代 金銀器, Beijing, 1985, no. 274). Another Tang silver spouted bowl, without lobes, but standing on a flared foot and decorated with parcel-gilt, was excavated in 1970 at Hejia village 何家村, Xi’an, Shaanxi province. A Tang dynasty copper spouted bowl with silver and gold decoration from the collection of Pierre Uldry was exhibited at the Rietberg Museum, Zurich, in Chinesishes Gold und Silber, Zurich, 1994, p. 162, no. 149. It is rare to find Tang dynasty vessels with parcel-gilt on copper. However, a fine copper lobed oval dish with flattened rim was excavated near Xi’an in 1968 and was included in the National Palace Museum exhibition World of the Heavenly Khan – Treasures of the Tang Dynasty 天可汗的世果 – 唐代文物大展, Taipei, 2002, p. 60. The repoussé band of scrolling flowers around the rim of the dish, and the chased design of a scholar playing a qin accompanied by a servant and a crane on the interior base, are both highlighted with parcel-gilt.
The gilding of metal appeared in China as early as the Shang dynasty. The technique employed by the Shang craftsmen is known as baojin 包金, in which a thin sheet of hammered gold foil was applied to another metal, usually bronze. In preparation for the application of the gold foil, the surface of the metal to which it was going to be applied was roughened in order to give better purchase to the gold foil when it was hammered into place. In the Warring States period of the Eastern Zhou dynasty, however, another gilding technique was developed. This was mercury-amalgam gilding, known as gongji liujin 汞齊鎏金or simply liiujin, in which gold was dissolved in mercury and the resulting mercury and gold paste was applied to the metal surface. It was then heated, so that the mercury was burned off, and the resulting thin gold layer on the surface was burnished to achieve a brilliant shine.
By the late Eastern Zhou period gold, like jade, had begun to be associated with immortality. The mercury-amalgam gilding technique, sometimes also known as fire-gilding appears to have been developed as a result Daoist alchemy associated with the search for immortality and the desire create man-made gold. By the beginning of the Han dynasty mercury-amalgam gilding was more commonly used than gold foil. In the Tang dynasty both the application of gold, and indeed silver, foil, and mercury-amalgam gilding were used to highlight certain parts of the design on vessels and personal ornaments such as hair pins. This gilding of certain areas, sometimes called parcel-gilding, produced colour contrast as well as adding a sumptuous brilliance to the designs on silver, bronze and copper. The Tang dynasty was a period in which richness of surface was appreciated in many media, and gilded metal work may be compared to luxurious silk brocades with designs woven in gold, or embroidered silk satins with couched gold and silver decoration.
The choice of floral sprays and butterflies as the theme for gilt decoration on the walls of the current bowl is characteristic of that seen on fine parcel-gilt metal wares of the high Tang period. A number of similar sprays are illustrated by Bo Gyllensvärd in ‘T’ang gold and Silver’, Bulletin of the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, No. 29, Stockholm, 1957, fig. 96, while the same author illustrated a variety of butterflies in fig. 62. Gyllensvärd also illustrated examples of the alternating truncated three-petal motif which appears at the top and bottom of the main band on the interior wall of the current vessel in fig. 79 of the same article. The current spouted bowl is also illustrated as a line drawing by Gyllensvärd in this article, fig. 42h, and part of its floral decoration is included in fig. 96q.
The creature depicted in the central roundel of the current spouted bowl appears to be a makara, represented as a winged dragon-fish. Although the terms are often used interchangeably, there has been considerable scholarly debate relating to the identification of the dragon-fish and the makara. Estell Nikles van Osselt suggested a clarification of the terminology in her paper "Song Ceramics: A Study of Makara and Dragon-fish Designs", in S. Pierson (ed.), Song Ceramics - Art History, Archaeology and Technology, Colloquies on Art & Archaeology in Asia No. 22, London, 2004, pp. 119-50. While the Chinese dragon-fish is often, but not exclusively, linked to the notion of a fish in the process of turning into a dragon, the makara appears to be a mythical beast of Indian origin made up of elements from creatures such as crocodile, elephant and fish. The Chinese notion of a dragon-fish can, however, be found in early Chinese literature. Its appearance with the dragon-like head, paired with wings, echoes the yinglong 應龍, a form of winged dragon mentioned in the Shanhai Jing (山海經Classic of Mountains and Seas). A related creature also appears in the 5th century Hou Han Shu (後漢書 History of the Later Han).
The Indian makara appears in Indian temple architecture and on the jewellery worn by Vishnu, the god of Mercy. While the Goddess of the River Ganga is often depicted riding on a makara. The iconography of the Indian makara appears to have entered China around the same time as Buddhism was becoming established, but does not seem to occur in the decorative arts repertory until the Tang dynasty. Even in this early period, however, the auspicious nature of the Chinese makara is established by its association with the flaming pearl, as on the current spouted bowl. On the Chinese decorative arts the pearl is either shown being chased by two circling makaras, as on the interior of a 10th century Yue ware bowl in the collection of the Percival David Collection, illustrated by Rosemary Scott in "Miseyao and the Changing Status of Ceramics in the Tang Period", Wang Qingzheng (ed.), Yue Ware - Miseci Porcelain, Shanghai, 1996, fig. 15, or, alternatively, the pearl is depicted as being held in the mouth of the makara, as in the case of the current vessel.
According to Buddhist legend, the makara was originally a whale that saved the lives of five hundred drowning merchants at sea, and then sacrificed itself by providing its own body for food to feed the victims. Because of its compassion and sacrifice, both important virtues in Buddhist philosophy, the whale was then immortalised and transformed into a makara, characterised by the head of a dragon, the body of a whale with wings and a pearl by its side. It is also associated with prosperity, as the makara, in its whale-like manifestation was believed to be able to swallow anything, no matter how large. A makara with similar head to the one on the interior of the current bowl can be found chased in the centre of a Tang dynasty gold cup, excavated in 1983 in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, and now in the Shaanxi History Museum (illustrated by C. Michaelson, Gilded Dragons, London, 1999, pp. 98-9, no. 59), while a similarly coiled makara with flaming pearl is illustrated by Bo Gyllensvärd in ‘T’ang gold and Silver’, Butlletim of the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, No. 29, Stockholm, 1957, Fig. 56b.
These Tang dynasty metal spouted bowls, which stand on a flared foot, pre-date the better known ceramic spouted bowls with flat base and a small ring handle below the spout which occur in the Jin and Yuan dynasties. A Jun ware spouted bowl of this latter type was excavated in 1977 from a Jin dynasty context at Yingxian 應 縣, Shanxi province (illustrated in Complete Collection of Ceramics Art Unearthed in China, vol. 5, Shanxi, Beijing, 2008, no. 98). A Yuan dynasty blue-glazed example with flat base and small handle and gilt decoration was excavated in 1964 from a hoard at Yonghua South Road 永華南鹿, Baoding 保定, Hebei province (illustrated in Complete Collection of Ceramics Art Unearthed in China, vol. 3 Hebei, Beijing, 2008, no. 225).
This gilded copper bowl is an example of a rare vessel form, in an unusual material, decorated in a sumptuous technique, and in a style typical of the rich decorative traditions of the Tang dynasty.
Rosemary Scott, Senior International Academic Consultant, Asian Art
This form is known as an yi 匜, and is a pouring vessel which has its origins in bronze vessels of the Zhou dynasty, when yi were usually made with a handle opposite a wider mouth, and standing on slim legs. These Zhou dynasty bronze yi are believed to be have been used for pouring water to wash the hands before performing rituals. By the Western Han dynasty some yi vessels were manufactured in silver, occasionally with gold decoration, and were made without handle or legs. Such a Han dynasty yi vessel was excavated in 1957 at Baoji 寶 雞 in Shaanxi province (illustrated in Charm and Brilliance – An Appraisal of the National Treasures in the Shaanxi History Museum – The Gold and Silver Wares 神韵與輝煌 陝西歷史博物館國寶鑒賞 金銀器卷, Xi’an, 2006, p. 142, no. 74). The shape evolved on metal wares of the Tang dynasty to a vessel which stood on a flared foot and had a more bowl-shaped body, which could be circular or petal-lobed – like the current example. These vessels are, however extremely rare either in silver or in copper, and the fact that the few extant examples are usually decorated with gold confirms their status as precious items.
A Tang dynasty silver five-lobed spouted bowl, standing on a high flared foot, with parcel-gilt decoration, was excavated at Lin’anxian 臨安縣, Zhejiang province from a tomb belonging to the Qiu 邱family (illustrated in Tang dai jin yin qi 唐代 金銀器, Beijing, 1985, no. 274). Another Tang silver spouted bowl, without lobes, but standing on a flared foot and decorated with parcel-gilt, was excavated in 1970 at Hejia village 何家村, Xi’an, Shaanxi province. A Tang dynasty copper spouted bowl with silver and gold decoration from the collection of Pierre Uldry was exhibited at the Rietberg Museum, Zurich, in Chinesishes Gold und Silber, Zurich, 1994, p. 162, no. 149. It is rare to find Tang dynasty vessels with parcel-gilt on copper. However, a fine copper lobed oval dish with flattened rim was excavated near Xi’an in 1968 and was included in the National Palace Museum exhibition World of the Heavenly Khan – Treasures of the Tang Dynasty 天可汗的世果 – 唐代文物大展, Taipei, 2002, p. 60. The repoussé band of scrolling flowers around the rim of the dish, and the chased design of a scholar playing a qin accompanied by a servant and a crane on the interior base, are both highlighted with parcel-gilt.
The gilding of metal appeared in China as early as the Shang dynasty. The technique employed by the Shang craftsmen is known as baojin 包金, in which a thin sheet of hammered gold foil was applied to another metal, usually bronze. In preparation for the application of the gold foil, the surface of the metal to which it was going to be applied was roughened in order to give better purchase to the gold foil when it was hammered into place. In the Warring States period of the Eastern Zhou dynasty, however, another gilding technique was developed. This was mercury-amalgam gilding, known as gongji liujin 汞齊鎏金or simply liiujin, in which gold was dissolved in mercury and the resulting mercury and gold paste was applied to the metal surface. It was then heated, so that the mercury was burned off, and the resulting thin gold layer on the surface was burnished to achieve a brilliant shine.
By the late Eastern Zhou period gold, like jade, had begun to be associated with immortality. The mercury-amalgam gilding technique, sometimes also known as fire-gilding appears to have been developed as a result Daoist alchemy associated with the search for immortality and the desire create man-made gold. By the beginning of the Han dynasty mercury-amalgam gilding was more commonly used than gold foil. In the Tang dynasty both the application of gold, and indeed silver, foil, and mercury-amalgam gilding were used to highlight certain parts of the design on vessels and personal ornaments such as hair pins. This gilding of certain areas, sometimes called parcel-gilding, produced colour contrast as well as adding a sumptuous brilliance to the designs on silver, bronze and copper. The Tang dynasty was a period in which richness of surface was appreciated in many media, and gilded metal work may be compared to luxurious silk brocades with designs woven in gold, or embroidered silk satins with couched gold and silver decoration.
The choice of floral sprays and butterflies as the theme for gilt decoration on the walls of the current bowl is characteristic of that seen on fine parcel-gilt metal wares of the high Tang period. A number of similar sprays are illustrated by Bo Gyllensvärd in ‘T’ang gold and Silver’, Bulletin of the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, No. 29, Stockholm, 1957, fig. 96, while the same author illustrated a variety of butterflies in fig. 62. Gyllensvärd also illustrated examples of the alternating truncated three-petal motif which appears at the top and bottom of the main band on the interior wall of the current vessel in fig. 79 of the same article. The current spouted bowl is also illustrated as a line drawing by Gyllensvärd in this article, fig. 42h, and part of its floral decoration is included in fig. 96q.
The creature depicted in the central roundel of the current spouted bowl appears to be a makara, represented as a winged dragon-fish. Although the terms are often used interchangeably, there has been considerable scholarly debate relating to the identification of the dragon-fish and the makara. Estell Nikles van Osselt suggested a clarification of the terminology in her paper "Song Ceramics: A Study of Makara and Dragon-fish Designs", in S. Pierson (ed.), Song Ceramics - Art History, Archaeology and Technology, Colloquies on Art & Archaeology in Asia No. 22, London, 2004, pp. 119-50. While the Chinese dragon-fish is often, but not exclusively, linked to the notion of a fish in the process of turning into a dragon, the makara appears to be a mythical beast of Indian origin made up of elements from creatures such as crocodile, elephant and fish. The Chinese notion of a dragon-fish can, however, be found in early Chinese literature. Its appearance with the dragon-like head, paired with wings, echoes the yinglong 應龍, a form of winged dragon mentioned in the Shanhai Jing (山海經Classic of Mountains and Seas). A related creature also appears in the 5th century Hou Han Shu (後漢書 History of the Later Han).
The Indian makara appears in Indian temple architecture and on the jewellery worn by Vishnu, the god of Mercy. While the Goddess of the River Ganga is often depicted riding on a makara. The iconography of the Indian makara appears to have entered China around the same time as Buddhism was becoming established, but does not seem to occur in the decorative arts repertory until the Tang dynasty. Even in this early period, however, the auspicious nature of the Chinese makara is established by its association with the flaming pearl, as on the current spouted bowl. On the Chinese decorative arts the pearl is either shown being chased by two circling makaras, as on the interior of a 10th century Yue ware bowl in the collection of the Percival David Collection, illustrated by Rosemary Scott in "Miseyao and the Changing Status of Ceramics in the Tang Period", Wang Qingzheng (ed.), Yue Ware - Miseci Porcelain, Shanghai, 1996, fig. 15, or, alternatively, the pearl is depicted as being held in the mouth of the makara, as in the case of the current vessel.
According to Buddhist legend, the makara was originally a whale that saved the lives of five hundred drowning merchants at sea, and then sacrificed itself by providing its own body for food to feed the victims. Because of its compassion and sacrifice, both important virtues in Buddhist philosophy, the whale was then immortalised and transformed into a makara, characterised by the head of a dragon, the body of a whale with wings and a pearl by its side. It is also associated with prosperity, as the makara, in its whale-like manifestation was believed to be able to swallow anything, no matter how large. A makara with similar head to the one on the interior of the current bowl can be found chased in the centre of a Tang dynasty gold cup, excavated in 1983 in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, and now in the Shaanxi History Museum (illustrated by C. Michaelson, Gilded Dragons, London, 1999, pp. 98-9, no. 59), while a similarly coiled makara with flaming pearl is illustrated by Bo Gyllensvärd in ‘T’ang gold and Silver’, Butlletim of the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, No. 29, Stockholm, 1957, Fig. 56b.
These Tang dynasty metal spouted bowls, which stand on a flared foot, pre-date the better known ceramic spouted bowls with flat base and a small ring handle below the spout which occur in the Jin and Yuan dynasties. A Jun ware spouted bowl of this latter type was excavated in 1977 from a Jin dynasty context at Yingxian 應 縣, Shanxi province (illustrated in Complete Collection of Ceramics Art Unearthed in China, vol. 5, Shanxi, Beijing, 2008, no. 98). A Yuan dynasty blue-glazed example with flat base and small handle and gilt decoration was excavated in 1964 from a hoard at Yonghua South Road 永華南鹿, Baoding 保定, Hebei province (illustrated in Complete Collection of Ceramics Art Unearthed in China, vol. 3 Hebei, Beijing, 2008, no. 225).
This gilded copper bowl is an example of a rare vessel form, in an unusual material, decorated in a sumptuous technique, and in a style typical of the rich decorative traditions of the Tang dynasty.