Lot 28. A rare hardstone-embellished, gold and silver-inlaid bronze zither string anchor, sexianrui, Warring States period (482-221 BC)-Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-9 AD); 4,5cm diam.; 5cm high. Sold for €12,800. © Bonhams 2001-2024

Cast with a square hollow socket with rounded edges surmounted by a circular hemispherical top with facetted sides modelled with two rows of smaller and larger petals with alternating turquoise and agate inlays interspersed with small turquoise pieces radiating from a central agate cabochon, all within scroll borders finely inlaid in gold and silver sheet.

Provenance: Acquired from Susan Chen, Hong Kong, in 2000
A distinguished European private collection.

Note: Exquisitely cast and sumptuously inlaid with semi-precious stones, gold and silver sheet, this small object would have been one of a set of four string anchors for a plucked zither (se), an important string instrument popular during the Eastern Zhou and Han dynasties. The refined quality and use of precious materials of this string anchor suggests it was made for an equally refined zither. It is likely that instruments of such outstanding quality were made for high-ranking members of the society as demonstrated by a zither discovered in the tomb of the Marquis Yi of Zeng (dated to late 5th century BC) in Hubei.

A similar bronze fitting of Western Han date, similarly decorated with gold, silver and other precious stone inlays, was excavated from tomb no. 2 at Dongdongshan, Xuzhou, Jiangsu province, and is illustrated in James Lin (ed.), The Search for Immortality: Tomb Treasures of Han China, Cambridge, 2012, p.136, no.32. Compare also with a gold and silver-inlaid bronze fitting of similar shape and size but missing the hardstone inlays, sold in Christie's New York, 19-20 September 2013, lot 1503. Compare also with another example in the collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of Art, Washington DC, accession no.S2012.9.2344.

Zither string anchor (sexianrui), Western Han dynasty (206-1 BCE). Bronze with green material, gold and silver inlay. H x Diam (overall): 4.2 x 4 cm. Smithsonian National Museum of Art, Washington DC, accession no.S2012.9.2344.

Bonhams. CHINESE ART, Paris, 12 June 2024