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Lot Essay
The present gilt-bronze dragon finial is impressive and unusual for its large size, powerful casting, and the survival of its tubular receptacle. Closely related dragon finials are typically smaller, often with closed mouths and paired horns, and they usually lack a tubular sleeve. For comparison, see the example in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, illustrated by J. Watt in “The Arts of Ancient China,” The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, n.s., 48, no. 1 (Summer 1990), pp. 40-1, cat. no. 49.
By contrast, the present finial is cast with a single horn and an open, animated mouth, the jaws parted to reveal sharp teeth and a protruding tongue, lending the head a vivid sense of forward motion. The long, slightly tapering tubular element at the rear suggests that the finial was fitted as a terminal—possibly sleeved over a wooden pole or staff—though its precise function remains uncertain. Only one other closely comparable example appears to be recorded: a gilt-bronze dragon finial in the Miho Museum, Koka, Japan, dated to the Six Dynasties period, 6th century. (https://www.miho.jp/booth/html/artcon/00000431e.htm)
By contrast, the present finial is cast with a single horn and an open, animated mouth, the jaws parted to reveal sharp teeth and a protruding tongue, lending the head a vivid sense of forward motion. The long, slightly tapering tubular element at the rear suggests that the finial was fitted as a terminal—possibly sleeved over a wooden pole or staff—though its precise function remains uncertain. Only one other closely comparable example appears to be recorded: a gilt-bronze dragon finial in the Miho Museum, Koka, Japan, dated to the Six Dynasties period, 6th century. (https://www.miho.jp/booth/html/artcon/00000431e.htm)