Lot 39, A rare pale yellowish-brown jade and agate spoon with gilt-bronze fitting, Warring States Period-Han Dynasty (475 BC–220 AD); 14.6cm (5 3/4in) long. Estimate HK$ 200,000 - 300,000 (€23,000 - 35,000). Sold for HK$ 375,000 (€ 44,483). Photo: Bonhams.

The flat petal-shaped pale yellow and brown jade receptacle, incised with archaic scrolls, attached to a gilt bronze animal-head fitting joined to an undulating 'S'-shaped translucent white agate handle, the handle drilled in the centre with a very small circular aperture. 

Note: The present lot is rare for the combination of the flat jade spoon receptacle with an agate handle. It is noteworthy that the carefully incised archaic scrolls on the spoon's jade component is characteristic of the decorative motifs on early Han dynasty jades. The agate handle however, resembles agate dragon-shaped xi pendants from the Warring States period, see two examples in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Jade 3, Beijing, 2011, pp.204-205, nos.208-209.

The practice of combining earlier and contemporaneous elements appeared to be quite common in the Han dynasty, including the addition of gold or bronze attachments, or carved alterations to earlier jade pieces. See two examples of jades dated to the Eastern Zhou dynasty but altered to petal-shaped pendants during the Han dynasty, excavated from the tomb of Qiemoshu in Ganquan, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province; see also a dragon-shaped pendant, Western Han dynasty, with a later attached gilt-bronze animal-head fitting, excavated from the tomb of the King of Nanyue in Guangzhou, both illustrated by Gu Fang, The Pictorial Handbook of Ancient Chinese Jades, Beijing, 2007, pp.293-294.

Bonhams. THE SZE YUAN TANG COLLECTION OF CHINESE JADES, 11:00 HKT - HONG KONG, ADMIRALTY