Lot 1060. The Max N. Berry Collections. A powerfully cast gilt-bronze mask-form support, Eastern Han-Six Dynasties period (AD 25-589); 8.9 cm high, lucite and metal stand. Price realised USD 53,760 (Estimate USD 10,000 – USD 15,000) © Christie's Images Ltd 2026

Provenance: Sotheby's New York, 3 June 1987, lot 39.
Chen Chi Collection, Tokyo.
J. J. Lally & Co., New York, 9 February 2007, no. 4284B.

Note : This small support is powerfully cast with fierce and sharply defined features, including curled horns, bulging eyes, and a blunt snout with pronounced teeth and fangs. The chin rests on a cloven hoof, and the back has a protruding bar for attachment. Gilt-bronze cast masks with similar facial features were used on a variety of Han-dynasty fittings, including a small example (2 ¾ in. wide) of rectangular shape from the Sze Yuan Tang Collection, sold at Christie’s New York, 16 September 2010, lot 860.

Christie's. Important Chinese Art Including Ceramics from the Art Institute of Chicago, New York, 17/18 September 2026