Lot 48. A Chinese inscribed archaistic bronze "Tiger" tally, Possibly Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). L: 2 7/8 in. Sold for $6,300 (Estimated at $1,500 - $2,000). © FREEMAN’S 2021 

Each of the matching halves cast in the form of a crouching tiger, the face detailed with slender eyes and curling ears, the spine with an inscription: "yu Luoyang Taishou wei hufu" ('tiger tally of Luoyang governor'), the left side inscribed with "Luoyang zuo yi" ('Luoyang, left, number one'), the boxwood stand inscribed with two characters reading "chen li".

Property from an old Hong Kong family collection.

Provenance: Sotheby's Hong Kong, Chinese Art, November 30, 2018, Lot 569. 

FREEMAN’S. Asian Arts. October 14, 2021