Lot 1128. A pair of bronze linchpins, Late Shang-Early Western Zhou dynasty, 12th-10th century BC; 3 5/8 in. (9.2 cm.) long. Estimate USD 4,000 - USD 6,000. Price realised USD 11,875. © Christie's Images Ltd 2013

Each flat pin is pierced with a rectangular aperture at one end and is surmounted by a well-cast animal head with tapering, spiralled horns, bulbous eyes, and flat muzzle, that is pierced through the neck with a horizontal channel, and has a flat, crescent-shaped backing, stand.

Provenance: Raymond A. Bidwell (1876-1954) Collection.
The Springfield Museums, Springfield, Massachusetts, accessioned in 1962.

Literature: The Raymond A. Bidwell Collection of Chinese Bronzes and Ceramics, Museum of Fine Arts, Springfield, Massachusetts, 1965, pp. 42-43.

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, New York, 21 - 22 March 2013