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THBImportant Chinese Han Amphora w/ Gilded Bronze
About Seller
686 S Taylor Ave, Ste 106
Louisville, CO 80027
United States
Selling antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art online since 1993, Artemis Gallery specializes in Classical Antiquities (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern), Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanographic art. Our extensive inventory includes pottery, stone, metal, wood, glass and textil...Read more
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About Auction
LiveMar 20, 2025
Explore a world of classical antiquities and ethnographic masterpieces, with treasures from every corner of the globe. Discover Egyptian relics, Greek and Roman artifacts, Etruscan elegance, Near Eastern wonders, and Asian heritage. Marvel at Pre-Columbian marvels, Native American artistry, African tribal expressions, and Oceanic cultural gems. Spanish Colonial legacies, Russian craftsmanship, and a spectrum of fine and visual arts await, offering a captivating journey through history and artistry, connecting cultures across time. Artemis Fine Arts info@artemisgallery.com
View Full Catalog (267)
- Lot Description
East Asia, Western China, Han Dynasty, ca. 206 BCE to 220 CE. A large pottery vase, the surface burnished to a fine grey hue and inlaid with bronze bosses - several of the bosses still showing the original gilded surface. Panels of incised linear decorations adorn the neck, and raised, swirl-patterned circles are presented on the main body. The mouth opens in a distinct ovoid form, and wide strap handles flow down from its narrow rim and join the widest part of the body. This type of double-handled amphora was made in western Sichuan province in central China, and is known as "Lifan" after the particular area where vessels like it were found. Researchers believe the unique shape to be anthropomorphic, perhaps symbolizing the female human form, or zoomorphic - the bronze appliques like staring eyes. The style is fascinating, very different from others created during the Warring States to Han Dynasty period, and seems to be an artistic callback to the elegant forms of the Chinese Neolithic period.
These vessels are found mainly within rock-cut tombs and cist burials, with a few examples known from the more classically Han chambered brick tombs. This suggests that these vessels were made by immigrants or members of non-dominant ethnic groups within Han-controlled China, probably people who lived a nomadic lifestyle centered on husbandry while their Chinese contemporaries led more sedentary, agricultural-based lifestyles. Size: 13" W x 13" H (33 cm x 33 cm)
Bosses have been tested using XRF analysis and show a composition of copper, tin, lead and silver, some with addition of gold. These results are consistent with ancient examples and show no signs of modern materials. For a similar example of this amphora type with bronze bosses please see the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts website and the Wang Collection, and similar pottery type at the British Museum's website, museum number: 1932,0216.1.
For a nearly identical example - of a slightly smaller size - see LiveAuctioneers, March 29, 2023, Artemis Gallery, Lot 131 with a hammer price of $7350.
Provenance: private Los Angeles, California, USA collection
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
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#192273Condition
Intact and quite fine. Tiny blemish on the rim where slip has chipped off. Bosses with some green crusted patina.
- Shipping Info
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