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LOT 0075

Chinese Han Dynasty Gilt Bronze Tao Tie Handles

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**Originally Listed At $1200**

East Asia, China, Han Dynasty, ca. 206 BCE to 220 CE. A beautiful matched pair of gilt bronze handles with mask faces known as taoties. These taoties are characteristically shown with a forward facing and symmetrical visage. The ring handle is attached to the loop formed by the creature's snout. The mask faces are cast separate from the vessel and have arms on the verso for attaching to the sides of a ding vessel. The gilding on these suggests that the vessel they were part of was a magnificent piece. The taotie is a mythological creature with a ferocious appetite. Size of handle: 1.8" L x 1.25" W (4.6 cm x 3.2 cm); wood display: 3.75" L x .375" W x 2.15" H (9.5 cm x 1 cm x 5.5 cm); quality of gilt: 27% to 29% (equivalent to 7K+)

The taotie is one of the "four fiends" or "four evil creatures" of Chinese mythology, and it is a particularly fascinating and ancient symbol seen on ancient bronzes. In the Lushi Chunqiu, known in English as Master Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals, a Chinese encyclopedia compiled around 239 BCE, the taotie is described thusly: "The taotie on Zhou bronzes has a head but no body. When it eats people, it does not swallow them, but harms them" (16/3a Prophecy). This and other ancient descriptions of the creature suggest that it related to making food offerings/sacrifices for the insatiable spirits of the dead. Some scholars believe that the creature is part of the mysterious communication between people and the gods.

Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex-Sotheby's, London, December 1989

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.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.

Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.

#160582
Condition Report: Minor nicks and surface abrasions. Fading and losses to gilt. Great details, green patina, and rings articulate.

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Time, Location
30 Sep 2021
USA, Louisville, CO
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[ translate ]

**Originally Listed At $1200**

East Asia, China, Han Dynasty, ca. 206 BCE to 220 CE. A beautiful matched pair of gilt bronze handles with mask faces known as taoties. These taoties are characteristically shown with a forward facing and symmetrical visage. The ring handle is attached to the loop formed by the creature's snout. The mask faces are cast separate from the vessel and have arms on the verso for attaching to the sides of a ding vessel. The gilding on these suggests that the vessel they were part of was a magnificent piece. The taotie is a mythological creature with a ferocious appetite. Size of handle: 1.8" L x 1.25" W (4.6 cm x 3.2 cm); wood display: 3.75" L x .375" W x 2.15" H (9.5 cm x 1 cm x 5.5 cm); quality of gilt: 27% to 29% (equivalent to 7K+)

The taotie is one of the "four fiends" or "four evil creatures" of Chinese mythology, and it is a particularly fascinating and ancient symbol seen on ancient bronzes. In the Lushi Chunqiu, known in English as Master Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals, a Chinese encyclopedia compiled around 239 BCE, the taotie is described thusly: "The taotie on Zhou bronzes has a head but no body. When it eats people, it does not swallow them, but harms them" (16/3a Prophecy). This and other ancient descriptions of the creature suggest that it related to making food offerings/sacrifices for the insatiable spirits of the dead. Some scholars believe that the creature is part of the mysterious communication between people and the gods.

Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex-Sotheby's, London, December 1989

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.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.

Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.

#160582
Condition Report: Minor nicks and surface abrasions. Fading and losses to gilt. Great details, green patina, and rings articulate.

[ translate ]
Estimate
Unlock
Time, Location
30 Sep 2021
USA, Louisville, CO
Auction House
Unlock
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