A Chinese inscribed archaistic bronze "Tiger" tally

A Chinese inscribed archaistic bronze "Tiger" tally 嵌金铜虎符 Possibly Ming Dynasty 或明

Each of the matching halves cast in the form of a crouching tiger, the face detailed with slender eyes and curling ears, the spine with an inscription: "yu Luoyang Taishou wei hufu" ('tiger tally of Luoyang governor'), the left side inscribed with "Luoyang zuo yi" ('Luoyang, left, number one'), the boxwood stand inscribed with two characters reading "chen li".

(L: 2 7/8 in.)

Property from an old Hong Kong family collection

Sotheby's Hong Kong, Chinese Art, November 30, 2018, Lot 569