Bronze Ornamental Sculpture, Han Dynasty, 206 BC-220 AD, Gilded Bronze Bear, Archaeology, China

Details

Description

An exceptional ornamental bronze sculpture from the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD).
It depicts a gilded bronze bear

. … Read more An exceptional ornamental bronze sculpture from the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD).
It depicts a gilded bronze bear

. A hollow cast, entirely in the round, and finely executed, it represents a bear crouching on its knees, its clawed paws resting on its right knee and its left paw raised, its head tilted to the left with open jaws, lips pulled back in a fierce display of well-articulated teeth, its tongue protruding from its mouth, its eyes wide open, and the body delicately incised to depict the beast's thick fur.

Associated with immortality, the bear figure is a characteristic element of the decorative vocabulary used in funerary furnishings of the Han Dynasty. The appearance of this motif corresponds to the reign of Emperor Wu of Han (140-87 BC). From this period onward, this animal motif was associated with the function of supporting objects, as evidenced by the famous tripod cauldron with bear-shaped feet found in the tomb of Prince Liu Sheng, discovered in Mancheng in 1968.
It is known that, during the Han dynasty, tubular fittings in the shape of animals, like this one, served as feet for small pieces of furniture and containers. This particular example stands out among similar accessories because of the way the artisans managed to capture the proportions of the ferocious beast's body, the articulation of its arms and claws.
This accessory is a fine example of the central place of naturalistic animal forms in Han visual culture, where representations of bears, symbols of strength, enjoyed a popularity that was never equaled in subsequent periods. Beyond gilt bronze accessories, bears are also found in Han art as built-in supports for bronze, lacquer, and ceramic vessels; as sculptural cast bronze rug weights; in molded ceramic tiles; in textiles; and as figures carved in jade and hardstone.

The gilding is very well preserved.
Dimensions: 4 x 4 x 2 cm.
From a French private collection
. A collection number is inscribed in pen under the base (easily erasable).


See comparable examples

: https://www.bonhams.com/auction/26224/lot/303/two-gilt-bronze-bear-form-supports-han-dynasty-2/#!

https://www.bonhams.com/auction/22950/lot/2004/a-gilt-bronze-support-fitting-han-dynasty/

https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-3045609

https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-6487706 See less