An inscribed bronze 'Mythical Beasts' mirror, Sui Dynasty
An inscribed bronze 'Mythical Beasts' mirror, Sui Dynasty. Photo Sotheby's
cast in the central field with four mythical beasts encircling the pierced knob, the outer border with a twenty-character inscription within narrow dogtooth borders, the silvered surface with green and brown encrustation. Diameter 4 3/4 in., 12 cm. Estimation 10,000 — 15,000 USD
Provenance: Old Japanese collection, circa 1980, by repute
Sotheby's. FINE CHINESE CERAMICS & WORKS OF ART. 18 MARS 2014 - 19 MARS 2014. NEW YORK - www.sothebys.com
A bronze 'Spirits of the Four Directions' mirror, Sui Dynasty
A bronze 'Spirits of the Four Directions' mirror, Sui Dynasty. Photo Sotheby's
the pierced central knop cast as a crouching beast, surrounded by the animals of the four directions, dragon, phoenix, tiger and snake-coiled turtle, the outer well with the twelve zodiac animals among clusters of grapes and scrolling vines, the silvered mirror with some green encrustation. Diameter 4 3/4 in., 12 cm. Estimation 15,000 — 20,000 USD
Provenance: Old Japanese collection, circa 1980, by repute.
Sotheby's. FINE CHINESE CERAMICS & WORKS OF ART. 18 MARS 2014 - 19 MARS 2014. NEW YORK - www.sothebys.com
A bronze 'Mythical Beasts' mirror, Sui Dynasty
A bronze 'Mythical Beasts' mirror, Sui Dynasty. Photo Sotheby's
the pierced central knob surrounded by four mythical beasts in pursuit of one another, encircled by an inscription within raised borders of various geometric designs. Diameter 5 1/8 in., 13 cm. Estimation 15,000 — 20,000 USD
Provenance: Old Japanese collection, circa 1980, by repute
Sotheby's. FINE CHINESE CERAMICS & WORKS OF ART. 18 MARS 2014 - 19 MARS 2014. NEW YORK - www.sothebys.com
A large bronze inscribed 'Zodiac' mirror, Sui Dynasty
A large bronze inscribed 'Zodiac' mirror, Sui Dynasty. Photo Sotheby's
the central knob surrounded by the 'animals of the four directions', the dragon representing the east, the phoenix representing the south, the tiger the west, and the snake-encoiled turtle the north, further surrounded by a band of characters, the outer well with the twelve zodiac animals, the silver mirror with green encrustation. Diameter 8 1/2 in., 21.5 cm. Estimation 80,000 — 100,000 USD
Provenance: Old Japanese collection, circa 1980, by repute.
Exposition: Uragami Sokyu-do, Co., Ltd., Bronze Mirrors from Sui to Tang Dynasty, Tokyo, 10th November 2010, cat. no. 1.
Sotheby's. FINE CHINESE CERAMICS & WORKS OF ART. 18 MARS 2014 - 19 MARS 2014. NEW YORK - www.sothebys.com
A bronze 'Zodiac' mirror, Sui Dynasty
A bronze 'Zodiac' mirror, Sui Dynasty. Photo Sotheby's
the pierced central knob set in a medallion of the 'animals of the four directions' among cloud scrolls, encircled by a band of the twelve animals of the zodiac, each in a panel bordered by raised lines, the outermost zone a narrow dogtooth band, the silvery-gray surface with green encrustation. Diameter 7 in., 17.7 cm. Estimation 15,000 — 20,000 USD
Provenance: Old Japanese collection, circa 1980, by repute.
Sotheby's. FINE CHINESE CERAMICS & WORKS OF ART. 18 MARS 2014 - 19 MARS 2014. NEW YORK - www.sothebys.com
n inscribed 'Mythical Beasts' bronze mirror, Sui Dynasty
An inscribed 'Mythical Beasts' bronze mirror, Sui Dynasty. Photo Sotheby's
cast in the central field with four mythical beasts encircling the pierced knob, the outer field cast with a twenty-character inscription, all within narrow dogtooth borders, the silvered surface with green and brown encrustation. Diameter 4 3/4 in., 12 cm. Estimation 10,000 — 15,000 USD
Provenance: Old Japanese collection, circa 1980, by repute.
Sotheby's. FINE CHINESE CERAMICS & WORKS OF ART. 18 MARS 2014 - 19 MARS 2014. NEW YORK - www.sothebys.com
A bronze 'Sea Beasts and Grapes' mirror, Tang Dynasty
A bronze 'Sea Beasts and Grapes' mirror, Tang Dynasty. Photo Sotheby's
cast in relief with a crouching sea beast knob encircled with grape vines and six further sea beasts, the outer field with birds and beasts among similar vine scrolls, below a band of floral designs around the rim, the silvery-gray patina with green and brown encrustation. Diameter 5 in., 12.6 cm. Estimation 10,000 — 15,000 USD
Provenance: Old Japanese collection, circa 1980, by repute.
Exposition: Uragami Sokyu-do, Co., Ltd., Bronze Mirrors from Sui to Tang Dynasty, Tokyo, 10th November 2010, cat. no. 26.
Sotheby's. FINE CHINESE CERAMICS & WORKS OF ART. 18 MARS 2014 - 19 MARS 2014. NEW YORK - www.sothebys.com
A bronze 'Sea Beasts and Grapes' mirror, Tang Dynasty
A bronze 'Sea Beasts and Grapes' mirror, Tang Dynasty. Photo Sotheby's
the central knob cast as a crouching beast, surrounded by a further six beasts and grape vines, the outer field with sixteen birds in flight among further vine scrolls, the bright silver patina with green encrustation. Diameter 5 in., 12.6 cm. Estimation 10,000 — 15,000 USD
Provenance: Old Japanese collection, circa 1980, by repute.
Sotheby's. FINE CHINESE CERAMICS & WORKS OF ART. 18 MARS 2014 - 19 MARS 2014. NEW YORK - www.sothebys.com
A bronze 'Sea Beasts and Grapes' mirror, Tang Dynasty
A bronze 'Sea Beasts and Grapes' mirror, Tang Dynasty. Photo Sotheby's
cast in high relief with a crouching sea beast knob encircled with grape vines and four further sea beasts, the outer field with twelve birds amidst similar vine scrolls, below a band of floral designs, the silvery-gray patina with green encrustation. Diameter 4 5/8 in., 11.7 cm. Estimation 8,000 — 12,000 USD
Provenance: Old Japanese collection, circa 1980, by repute
Sotheby's. FINE CHINESE CERAMICS & WORKS OF ART. 18 MARS 2014 - 19 MARS 2014. NEW YORK - www.sothebys.com
Two bronze mirrors, Warring States Period and Western Han Dynasty
Two bronze mirrors, Warring States Period and Western Han Dynasty. Photo Sotheby's
one mirror thinly cast and decorated with an overall pattern of striated hooks and volutes interspersed with stippling, the center with four trefoil motifs radiating from a circle enclosing the grooved knop, the plain rim with raised edge, smooth green patina; the other cast with four dragons in sinuous linear relief, encircling the square central zone set with a knob in the form of stylized dragon, the edge with a recessed field of sixteen point star, encrusted gray patina (2). Width of widest 4 1/2 in., 11.5 cm; 6 1/4 in., 16 cm. Estimation 5,000 — 7,000 USD
Provenance: The 'hooks and volutes' pattern mirror:
Collection of Mr. and Mrs. B. d'Ancona, acquired prior to 1951.
PROPERTY FROM THE ESTATE OF MR. BENJAMIN D'ANCONA, NEW YORK
Exposition: The 'hooks and volutes' pattern mirror:
An Exhibition of Chinese Mirrors, The Chinese Art Society of America, New York, 1951, cat. no. 5.
Sotheby's. FINE CHINESE CERAMICS & WORKS OF ART. 18 MARS 2014 - 19 MARS 2014. NEW YORK - www.sothebys.com
