Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art: Asian: Chinese: Metalwork (31)

Small seal of square base, with a snarling tiger on its top. Bronze, with partly encrusted reddish-green patina. China, Ming Dynasty or earlier. Height: 2.9 cm. Very good condition.

Old Incense burner of circular shape resting on three feet, decorated on all sides with dragons in relief. The two handles are in the shape of agressive dragons. Bronze, with green patina in the recesses. Reign mark beneath, probably apocryphal (Ming Dynasty, Xuande reign). China, 19th century. Height: 3 3/8" (8,7 cm). Diameter: 5 7/8" (15 cm). Very good condition.

Small seal cast in the shape of a tortoise standing on a square base. Archaic characters beneath. Bronze, with fine green patina. China, Ming Dynasty or earlier. Height: 2 cm. Width: 2.6 cm. Very good condition.

Ancient censer, of circular shape, resting on three feet, decorated on all sides with dragons in relief "chasing the pearl" and, on two sides, with dragon heads. Bronze, fine green patina. Reign mark beneath, probably apocryphal (Ming Dynasty, Xuande reign). China, early 19th century. Height: 3 1/4" (8,5 cm). Diameter: 5 4/8" (14,5 cm). Very good condition.

Statue of a snarling lion holding a smaller lion under its front paws, resting on a rectangular base. Bronze, with fine dark green patina with reddish areas. China, Ming Dynasty. Length: 6.7 cm. Height: 5.7 cm. Very good condition.

A half part of a military tally, finley cast in the form of a crouching tiger. Inside the tally is a protruding character and two round holes. Beneath the tally, nine incised halves of characters.The tally is made of bronze, with remnants of the original gilding and a fine patina. China, Early Ming dynasty or earlier. Height: 4.2 cm. Length: 8.2 cm. Very good condition. NOTE: a tally was used to command troops in ancient China...

A parcel-gilt silver cricket box and its cover. The body of the box is decorated with embossed flowers in cartouches, and its base is pierced with an intricate lattice design. The lid is also decorated with embossed concentric decorations, at the center with flowers in an octogonal frame, and around the rim with large fowers of various forms. China, early 19th cetury, maybe earlier. Diameter: 7.7 cm. Height: 4.4 cm. Very good condition...

Finely cast miniature statue of a Lokapala, wearing armor, standing in martial posture on a rock. Gilt bronze, nice patina. China, Tang Dynasty. Height: 5 cm. The statue is mounted on a plexi stand. Very good condition.

A delicately cast miniature statue of a Buddhist monk, standing on a circular base, holding his robe with both hands. Gilt bronze. China, Tang Dynasty period. Height: 66 mm. The statue is nicely mounted on a custom plexi stand. Very good condition.

Statue of Duowen Tian Wang, the Heavenly King of the North, elaborately dressed, wearing a diadem, holding the end of a ribbon with his left hand and a Buddhist scepter resting on a lotus in his right hand. The statue is standing on an square pedestal. The piece was originally lacquered, painted and gilt. Part of the lacquering is flaked, revealing the bronze oxydation. The statue was cast in China during the early Qing Dynasty, in the 18th century. Height: 37 cm. Very good condition.

A fine pair of gilt bronze appliques, possibly belt or harness fittings, of square shape, with well cast relief decorations of musicians sitting cross-legged and playing the flute and what seems to be a lute. China, Liao Dynasty (916-1125). Height:3.1 cm. Very good condition.

Small figurine finely cast in the shape of a human being in a crouching posture, with horn shaped hairdo. Bronze, with reddish-green patina. This particular object appears to be the support of a large bronze base, as shown on a picture of similar objects exhibited at the National Historical Museum in Beijing (cat. Bronzes, NHM, Beijing, 1995, no. 1037, p. 287), which we show on our last photograph. The piece dates back to the Warring States period (475-221 BC). Length: 4.4 cm. Height: 5.2 cm...

Death mask, made from a thin bronze sheet subtly formed as a man's broad face, chased with eyes, a nose, mouth and rounded cheeks, as well as a mustache. Tiny attachment hole on each side of the top (one missing). Fine slightly encrusted green, blue and red patina. China, Liao Dynasty (907-1125). Height: 18,5 cm. The mask is nicely mounted on a custom stand. A few small areas missing, tiny hole on the nose, otherwise good condition...