拍品 70
  • 70

AN IMPERIAL GILT-BRONZE ARCHAISTIC TEMPLE BELL (BIANZHONG) KANGXI MARK AND PERIOD, DATED TO THE 54TH YEAR, CORRESPONDING TO 1715

估價
500,000 - 700,000 USD
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招標截止

描述

  • bronze
Clients who wish to bid on lots designated as Premium Lots (70, 93, 94, 142, 208) must submit their pre-registration application no later than 3 working days prior to the day of the sale. Please contact 212-894-1728 with any questions.

robustly cast in barrel form, surmounted by a handle in the form of two dragons side-by-side facing opposite directions, each dragon with mouth open to reveal its tongue and fangs, the details of their manes and scales finely rendered, the gently bulging sides cast with four vertical panels, the front panel enclosing the reign mark Kangxi wushisi nian zhi set in a rectangular cartouche between a taiji emblem and a solid line representing the male principal yang, the opposing similar panel cast with two characters Guxian denoting the bell's musical pitch, the side panels each with a scrolling archaistic kuilong set between a ruyi and an angular scroll, the panels spaced equidistant between horizontal bands of alternating bosses and pairs of  trigrams, all above eight raised circular disks encircling the base

來源

Acquired in the United States in the 1950s, and thence by descent.

Condition

There is one 3/4 in. diagonal indentation at the upper rim, as well as numerous shorter scratches, small shallow dents and minor nicks scattered throughout the surface. The tip of one of the serrated fins along the back of one dragon is chipped. There is minor wear to the gilt. The bell is in good overall condition.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

拍品資料及來源

Bianzhong were produced for the court during the Qing dynasty as an essential component of Confucian ritual ceremonies at the imperial altars, formal banquets and processions. The music produced by these instruments was believed to facilitate communication between humans and deities. Gilt-bronze bells of this type were assembled in sets of sixteen and produced twelve musical tones, with four tones repeated in a higher or lower octave. These sets were further divided into yin or yang, indicated by a solid horizontal line or broken line under the panel of inscriptions to represent a minor or major key respectively. The present bell is the fifth pitch (guxian) of the yang key from its set. Cast in equal size but varying in thickness, these bells were attached to tall wooden frames in two rows of eight as depicted by Giuseppe Castiglione (1688-1766) in his painting Imperial Banquet in Wanshu Garden (c. 1755), included in the exhibition Splendors of China's Forbidden City. The Glorious Reign of Emperor Qianlong, The Field Museum, Chicago, cat. no. 101.

Four sets of bells of this form appear to have been created during Kangxi's reign for the Temple of Agriculture in Beijing: the first two sets in the 52nd year (1713) and the second two sets in the 54th year (1715). Several bells from the latter sets have been offered at auction; two, one of yingzhong tone and the other of huangzhong tone, were sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 8th April 2010, lot 1858, and 7th October 2010, lot 2105 respectively; a pair, of yingzhong and ruibin tones, was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 1st December 2009, lot 1942; and two sets of five bells, formerly in the Audrey B. Love collection, were sold at Christie's New York, 20th October 2004, lots 455 and 456. Two further bells have been sold at auction; one of taicu tone, sold in these rooms, 19th March 1997, lot 25; and a wushe bell, sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 26th April 1999, lot 520.

For bells from the sets dated to 1713, see one sold in these rooms, 24th April 1975, lot 240; and two sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 9th October 2007, lot 1327, and the other, 17th May 1979, lot 454.

The dragons surmounting this bell are known as pulao, which according to ancient Chinese legend is one of the nine sons of the dragon. In this myth it was said that Pulao resided close to the shore while his arch enemy, the whale, lived in the ocean. Whenever the whale would come to attack, Pulao would sound a roar. The structure of a bell is thus associated with this legend; the clash of the bell, Pulao, with the striker, the whale, would result in the dragon producing its loud ringing roar.