A bronze tortoise-shaped waterdropper. Han/Six Dynasties

Finely cast in an alert stance with head slightly raised, clasping in its mouth the remains of a sceptre, the domed carapace with hexagonal petal lappets emanating from a central aperture, the mouth with a small aperture for channelling water. 11cm (4½in) long. Estimate: £2,000 - 3,000

Footnote: Provenance: Robin Herridge. Purchased at Sotheby's New York, The Ellsworth Collection, 19 March 2002

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Bonhams New Bond Street. Fine Chinese Art, 5 Nov 2007