Maitreya (Mile), the Buddha of the Future, Six Dynasties period, early Northern Wei dynasty, 386-470. Cast bronze. Height: 13.97 cm. Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Eric Lidow (AC1998.251.67).

Lidded Square Ritual Wine Container (Fangyi) with Masks and Dragons, probably Henan Province, late Shang dynasty, Anyang phase, about 1300-1050 BC. Cast bronze. Overall: 23.5 x 14.29 x 12.38 cm. Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Eric...

Oil lamp, cast bronze, inlaid with silver, Jazira; 1st half of 13th century. H: 14.5; Diam at foot: 7.4 cm, Inv. no. 29/2003. © The David Collection. The lamp’s “scarred” surface shows that it had been richly inlaid more or less all over. Remnants are...

Mirror, cast bronze, Eastern Turkey; 600 or 660 H = 1204 or 1262. H at rim: 0.8; Diam: 24 cm, Inv. no. 4/1996. © The David Collection. This might be the most famous mirror from the Islamic cultural sphere. It was published as early as 1811 as being in...

Sphinx, cast bronze, Eastern Turkey; 12th-13th century. H: 12; L: 10.8 cm, Inv. no. 5/1978. © The David Collection. The little sphinx was probably a fountain figure from which water emerged in three jets: through the sphinx’s mouth and the mouths of the...

A fine cast bronze seated figure of Guanyin, 17th century. Estimate US$50,000 - 70,000 ( €44,000 - 62,000). Photo: Bonhams. Her hair carefully combed and pinned in an elaborate coiffure fronted by a figure of a seated Buddha as she turns toward her right...

A cast bronze standing figure of an immortal, Ming dynasty, 16th-17th century. Estimate US$ 20,000 - 30,000 ( €18,000 - 27,000). Photo: Bonhams. Dressed in a scholar's cap with trailing ribbons, his layered garments tied with a sash suspending an immortal's...

A rare cast bronze finial, dingshi, Warring States period. Estimate US$ 8,000 - 12,000 ( €7,100 - 11,000 ). Photo: Bonhams. Formed as a mythical bird in a resting pose, the finial delicately decorated with naturalistic wings, scales and feathers and a...