AN IMPORTANT AND EXTREMELY RARE INLAID IRON FLASK WARRING STATES PERIOD - HAN DYNASTY

the flattened oval body sumptuously inset on each side with five registers of gilt-silver and turquoise plaques enclosing various mythical creatures and animals, each plaque surrounded by four detached scrolls inlaid in fine silver wires, separated by raised gilt-silver bosses each encircled by quatrefoil bone inlay, all within gilt-silver-bound edges, the shoulders set with a pair of gilt-bronze mythical beast masks suspending loose rings and similarly decorated with vertically arranged turquoise animal plaques, between raised bosses surrounded by bone inlay and triangular turquoise inlay carved with small raised circles, all bordered with detached silver scrolls, the cylindrical neck encircled by a row of raised gilt-bronze florets, between a band of further raised bosses and bone inlay and triangular turquoise inlay with raised circles, the rectangular foot and circular mouth secured by a broad gilt-bronze band
Height 12 5/8 in., 32. cm

Provenance:
Collection Georges Bataille (1897-1962), until 4th December 1934.
Collection of Martine Marie Pol, Comtesse de Béhague (1870 - 1939).
Collection of Hubert Octave, Marquis de Ganay (1888-1974).
Hôtel Drouot, Paris, 7th May 1952, lot 56.
Collection of Stephen Junkunc, III (d. 1978).