A BELL-SHAPED BRONZE MIRROR SONG DYNASTY

cast with a rectangular aperture at the top and a loose-ring handle suspended from the front, the front with two columns of seal script text cast in relief reading gu zhong yu gong, sheng wen yu wai (the drum and bell are in the palace, their sound can be heard outside), centered with a square seal reading Li Daobing zao (made by Li Daobing), the front and ring handle cast with irregular depressions to imitate the corrosion on ancient bronzes, the back polished to high gloss, mottled turquoise- and gray-green patina throughout, acrylic stand (2)

Sotheby's London, 7th December 1993, lot 27.
Dutch Private Collection.

The corrosion thickly accrued in some areas, and polished down to various degrees throughout. Some scattered blue corrosion. Some minor flakes associated with corrosion and polishing.
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.

A related, but slightly smaller, mirror from the collection of Ulrich Hausmann sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 8th October 2014, lot 3388. Another of the same type in the collection of the Lee Kong Chian Art Museum, Singapore, is illustrated in Lee Kong Chian Art Museum Catalog: National University of Singapore, Singapore, 1990, cat. no. 385. A similar Song dynasty mirror in the Musée Cernuschi is illustrated by Michel Maucuer, Bronzes de la Chine impériale, des Song aux Qin, Paris, 2013, cat. no. 115.