**First Time At Auction**
East Asia, Northern China, Ordos culture or a neighboring group, ca. 1st to 2nd century CE. A delightful brass belt plaque featuring the relief image of 3 tiger cubs wrestling, all surrounded by a twisted rope border. Displaying a rectangular form, the lively relief shows one cub pinning the other to the ground as a third sits upon his haunches and raises one paw, as though about to join in the action. Of great importance in Chinese myth and culture, the tiger has been considered a major symbol of masculine yang energy since the earliest surviving records of Chinese history. In modern China, it is thought to represent nobility, fearlessness, and wrath and to be the king of the animals, with stripes over its forehead frequently drawn to form the Chinese character for king. The tiger was originally paired and contrasted with the dragon in Chinese myth, literature, art, and martial arts to represent the yin-yang as well as the dualities of earth and water, west and east, matter and spirit. Size: 4.6" W x 1.6" H (11.7 cm x 4.1 cm); 4" H (10.2 cm) on included custom stand.
Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex-Material Culture, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, November 14th, 2022, lot 135; ex-J.J. Lally & Co. Oriental Art, New York City, New York, USA; ex-Dr. Horacio Fabrega, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
#178192
Condition
A few small tears to periphery, and slight bending to form with expected abrasions and softening or detail, but otherwise intact and very nice. Lovely green patina throughout.