Lot 44. A rare and large pair of gilt-bronze ring handles, Warring States period-Western Han dynasty. 7 1/4in (18.4cm) high, each. Estimate US$ 10,000 - 15,000 (€8,600 - 13,000). Sold for US$ 10,000 (€8,592). Photo: Bonhams.

Each handle well-cast in the form of a taotie mask with rounded eyes, surmounted by a smiling humanoid figure with muscular arms and chest, the mask's elongated nostrils curled at the end forming a hollow ring, suspending a thick circular ring handle, stands.

Provenance: Michael Goedhuis, London
New York Private Collection.

Note: The inclusion of a human figure in this design is intriguing and very unusual. For a similar pair of handles, in this case without the human figure, see a set sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 24 November 2013, lot 521. A related large taotie handle from the Erwin Harris collection was sold at Christie's, New York, 16 March 2017, lot 861. Another unusual bronze ring handle with similar human-form decoration, excavated in 1968 at Mancheng, Hebei at the tomb of Liu Sheng (died 113 BC) and now held in the collection of the Hebei Provincial Museum, and included in the exhibition "Age of Empires: Chinese Art of the Qin & Han Dynasties (221 B.C.-A.D. 220)" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 3 April-16 July 2017

A gilt-bronze taotie mask fitting with loose ring handle, Han dynasty (206 BC-AD 220). 6 in. (15.2 cm.) high overall. Sold for 23,750 USD at Christie's, New York, 16 March 2017, lot 861. © Christie's Images Ltd 2017.

Cf. my post: A gilt-bronze taotie mask fitting with loose ring handle, Han dynasty (206 BC-AD 220)

Coffin Handle, Western Han dynasty (206 B.C.–A.D. 9). Bronze with gilding and silvering. H. 4 13/16 in. (12.2 cm); W. 2 7/8 in. (7.3 cm). Excavated from Han tomb no.1 at Mancheng, Hebei, 1968. Lent by Hebei Provincial Museum © 2000–2017 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Bonhams. ASIAN WORKS OF ART, 30 Oct 2017, 10:00 EDT, NEW YORK