Lot 742. A set of silver-inlaid bronze chariot canopy shaft fittings, Western Han dynasty (206 BC-9 AD); overall l. 42.5 cm. Lot Sold 132,000 HKD (Estimate 50,000 - 150,000 HKD) © Sotheby's 2024

Lot 743. A gold and silver-inlaid bronze 'bird' staff finial, Western Han dynasty (206 BC-9 AD); w. 17 cm. Lot Sold 33,600 HKD (Estimate 40,000 - 60,000 HKD) © Sotheby's 2024

Lot 746. A copper-inlaid bronze 'dragon and phoenix' container and cover​​​​​​​, Western Han dynasty (206 BC-9 AD); h. 10.5 cm. Lot Sold 18,000 HKD (Estimate 50,000 - 100,000 HKD) © Sotheby's 2024

Lot 747. A set of four gold and silver-inlaid ‘sixiang’ table corner mountings​​​​​​​​​​​​​​, Western Han dynasty (206 BC-9 AD); l. 12.5 cm. Lot Sold 300,000 HKD (Estimate 250,000 - 500,000 HKD) © Sotheby's 2024

Lot 748. A silver-inlaid bronze dice​​​​​​​​​​​​​​, Western Han dynasty (206 BC-9 AD); w. 2.6 cm. Lot Sold 33,600 HKD (Estimate 60,000 - 90,000 HKD) © Sotheby's 2024

Lot 753. A rare inscribed bronze ritual food vessel and cover, ding, Western Han dynasty, the 5th year of Yuanshou, corresponding to 118 BC; h. 19 cm, w. 22.5 cm. Lot Sold 192,000 HKD (Estimate 150,000 - 310,000 HKD) © Sotheby's 2024

22 characters inscribed underneath the mouthrim, which may be translated as "In the fifth year of Yuan Shou, this bronze ding, with a capacity of one and a half sheng and weighing ten jin and nine liang, was made for [the ceremony at] Zhaona. The craftsman was Li Dan."

with 2 X-rays.

Note: The inscription "Zhu Na" refers to an ancient lake known by the same name before the Han dynasty, also called "Donghai Zi." Historically, it was revered alongside major rivers such as the Yellow River, Yangtze River, and Han River. Zhu Na is approximately located in what is now Guyuan County, Ningxia Province. According to the Si Ji  [Records of the Grand Historian: Fengshan] that Qin Shi Huang established a dedicated agency to regularly conduct rituals at Zhu Na. A stone unearthed in the Northern Song dynasty with inscriptions from the Warring States period about King Hui of Qin notes that the king conducted ceremonies at Zhu Na Lake to seek victory over the Chu state before their battles. The tradition of worshiping at Zhu Na persisted into the Han dynasty. In 1979, a bronze ding was discovered in Guyuan, bearing inscriptions that included "the twenty-ninth," "fifth year," "Zhu Na," and its capacity, indicating the existence of a set of multiple dings used even before Emperor Wu of Han began implementing reign names, see "Early Han Dynasty Bronze Ding Discovered in Ningxia Guyuan," Cultural Relics, 1982, Issue 12, p. 35. The present lot  is only the second known piece bearing the Zhu Na inscription, and it specifically dates to the fifth year of Emperor Wu of Han's Yuanshou era, which corresponds to 118 BC.

Lot 754. A bronze 'garlic head' wine vessel, hu​​​​​​​​​​​​​​, Western Han dynasty (206 BC-9 AD); h. 38.3 cm. Lot Sold 66,000 HKD (Estimate 80,000 - 160,000 HKD) © Sotheby's 2024

Lot 754. A rare pair of gilt-bronze 'dragon' fittings​​​​​​​​​​​​​​, Western Han dynasty (206 BC-9 AD); h. 6.1 cm, 50 g and 52 g. Lot Sold 72,000 HKD (Estimate 80,000 - 160,000 HKD) © Sotheby's 2024

Lot 756. A gilt-bronze mythical beast, bixie, Western Han dynasty (206 BC-9 AD); h. 6.1 cm, 50 g and 52 g. Lot Sold 180,000 HKD (Estimate 150,000 - 300,000 HKD) © Sotheby's 2024

Lot 766 A gilt-bronze 'horse' roundel, Western Han dynasty (206 BC-9 AD); d. 10.3 cm, 170 g. Lot Sold 72,000 HKD (Estimate 100,000 - 200,000 HKD) © Sotheby's 2024

Lot 782. A pair of gold-inlaid iron 'tiger' mat weights, Western Han dynasty (206 BC-9 AD); l. 7.6 cm. Lot Sold 24,000 HKD (Estimate 50,000 - 100,000 HKD) © Sotheby's 2024

Lot 751. A bronze reticulated ‘immortal and sixiang’ plaque, Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD); l. 16.6 cm. Lot Sold 36,000 HKD (Estimate 50,000 - 100,000 HKD) © Sotheby's 2024

Lot 764. A bronze 'goose foot' lamp, Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD); h. 21.4 cm. Lot Sold 21,600 HKD (Estimate 60,000 - 120,000 HKD) © Sotheby's 2024

Lot 736. A rare pair of bronze ‘dragon and phoenix' pliers, Han dynasty (206 BC-220 AD); l. 11.4 - 15.5 cm. Lot Sold 10,800 HKD (Estimate 50,000 - 100,000 HKD) © Sotheby's 2024

Lot 757. The Lan Shan Lou Collection. An inscribed gold and silver-inlaid bronze weight, Han dynasty (206 BC-220 AD); 6.8 cm. Lot Sold 540,000 HKD (Estimate 280,000 - 450,000 HKD) © Sotheby's 2024

superbly cast portraying a bear and tiger fighting dynamically and forming a rounded outline, sumptuously inlaid in gold and silver with facial features and stripes, the base incised with a five-character inscription within a recessed cartouche translating to 'daily growth of a thousand pieces of gold'

Provenance : Collection of George de Menasce (1890-1967).
Collection of J.M.A.J. Dawson.
Eskenazi Ltd, London, 1st July 1991.
Sotheby's Hong Kong, 13th October 2021, lot 3674.

Note: A closely related gold and silver-inlaid bronze weight, cast with a tiger and a boar, is in the collection of the British Museum, accession no. 1982,0402.1, where Jessica Rawson notes that the life and death struggle of the two animals is very different from the static, almost timeless, stance of creatures depicted on early bronzes and that animals in combat were favourite subjects in the Near East and among China's nomadic neighbours, such as the peoples whose lords were buried in the frozen tombs of Pazyryk in the Altai Mountains of south Siberia. It is probable that nomadic woodwork, textiles and bronze were known to the Chinese, who adapted similar scenes from them for the inlaid bronzes.

Lot 758. A bronze 'tiger' weight, Han dynasty (206 BC-220 AD); d. 6.1 cm. Lot Sold 19,200 HKD (Estimate 50,000 - 80,000 HKD) © Sotheby's 2024

Lot 759. A bronze 'phoenix' mat weight, Han dynasty (206 BC-220 AD); l. 8 cm. Lot Sold 18,000 HKD (Estimate 50,000 - 100,000 HKD) © Sotheby's 2024

Lot 760. Three bronze 'comedians' weights, Han dynasty (206 BC-220 AD); largest h. 9.5 cm. Lot Sold 48,000 HKD (Estimate 150,000 - 300,000 HKD) © Sotheby's 2024

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Lot 761. A bronze 'mountain' incense burner and cover, Han dynasty (206 BC-220 AD); h. 19.5 cm. Lot Sold 22,800 HKD (Estimate 50,000 - 100,000 HKD) © Sotheby's 2024

Lot 762. A bronze 'bear' lamp, Han dynasty (206 BC-220 AD); h. 17 cm. Lot Sold 57,600 HKD (Estimate 150,000 - 300,000 HKD) © Sotheby's 2024

Lot 765. A bronze 'ram' lamp and cover, Han dynasty (206 BC-220 AD); w. 14.5 cm. Lot Sold 26,400 HKD (Estimate 80,000 - 160,000 HKD) © Sotheby's 2024

Lot 776. An inscribed bronze 'figure and beasts' mirror, Han dynasty (206 BC-220 AD); d. 12.5 cm. Lot Sold 10,800 HKD (Estimate 40,000 - 80,000 HKD) © Sotheby's 2024

14 characters inscribed in low-relief on the inner rim

Lot 776. A small gilt-bronze spittoon, tuohu, Han dynasty-Six dynasties (206 BC-589 AD); h. 8.5 cm. Lot Sold 14,400 HKD (Estimate 50,000 - 100,000 HKD) © Sotheby's 2024

Sotheby's. Ritual and Reality II, Hong Kong, 18 December 2024