AN EXCEPTIONAL AND RARE GILT-BRONZE 'FELINE' ORNAMENT LATE EASTERN ZHOU DYNASTY |

superbly cast as a feline prowling sinuously with one front paw raised and the hind legs extended, meticulously rendered with the head turned backwards and depicted en face, the body portrayed muscular with subtle edges and marked with scrolling motifs at the haunches, the flat reverse with two short rods, traces of gilding

Collection of Paul Pelliot (1878-1945).
Collection of Therese and Erwin Harris, Miami, Florida, prior to 1969.
Eskenazi Ltd, London.

Jenny F. So and Emma C. Bunker, Traders and Raiders on China's Northern Frontier, Seattle and London, 1995, p. 155, no. 77 and cover.

This exquisitely cast plaque depicts a prancing feline, powerfully represented in a prowling position. Its design is defined largely by its shape and function, yet the craftsman behind the design skilfully used the constraints of its size and shape to create a creature that is strangely and vividly alive. Shown sideways, the lean body is contorted forwards and backwards, the muscles clearly defined by ridges and grooves highlighted with traces of gilding, the short stocky legs terminating in disproportionally large paws set with even larger claws. Yet the feline’s distinctive head is facing forward, directly confronting the viewer and contrasting with the forward facing movement of its body and legs. The image is highly dynamic but at the same time has an unsettling quality about it. 

The image of the prowling beast is a motif commonly associated with the arts of the late Eastern Zhou, Qin and Han periods. It appears in various forms and contexts and demonstrates the popularity of this motif during this period. However, its origins lie in the artistic vocabulary of the nomadic peoples living to the north of the Chinese empire. Its vivid naturalism reflects the influence of 'animal style' art created by the nomadic cultures of the northern borderlands where animal and bird-themed designs dominated ornamental objects made for and used by the pastoral peoples across the Eurasian steppes; compare Emma C. Bunker, Animal Style Art from East to West, New York, 1970, pp. 13-15. Many of these object types including personal ornaments such as belthooks and buckles and small plaques were subsequently adopted by the Eastern Zhou, Qin and Han nobility. Elaborate and colourful ornaments made of jade, gold, silver and bronze became more varied and common as were the decorative styles and techniques that were used to enhance their form and designs. Unlike the highly formalised and repetitive designs of raptor heads, animals in combat, crouching or standing felines that characterise artifacts made for the nomadic and semi-pastoral tribes and cultures of the regions beyond the Zhou and Han northern borders, small artifacts made during the Eastern Zhou, Qin and Han periods evolved into highly diverse and intricate, almost individual designs.

Drawing on a rich knowledge of metal working techniques and a vast repertoire of forms, styles, patterns and motifs, the artifacts that were made in the Chinese mainland during the sixth century BC to third century AD demonstrate a superiority and individuality exemplified by pieces such as the present gilt-bronze ornament. Highly elaborate designs of mountainous landscapes teeming with lively creatures including birds, camels, bears and tigers appear on many objects made for personal adornment and use. Designs involving auspicious creatures were heavily influenced by texts such as the Shanhaijing [the classic of the mountains and the sea], and reflect the notions of auspicious portents and correlative thinking which dominated the philosophy and politics of the late Eastern Zhou and Han periods; compare Jenny F. So and Emma C. Bunker, op. cit., pp. 13-15.

Prowling felines in similar appear on jade objects of late Eastern Zhou and Han date; compare, for example, the three-dimensional felines carved on three jade scabbard slides illustrated in Zhongguo meishu quanji [The complete collection of Chinese art], vol. 9: Yuqi [Jade], Beijing, 1986, col. pls 148-152 and 176. While no other ornament similar to the present example exists, there are a number of gilt-bronze pieces comparable in style and spirit. See, for instance, a gilt-bronze belthook of Warring States date, and a small bronze Han belthook illustrated in Toshio and Eiko Agawa, Agraffe & Bronze Animals. Ancient Chinese Ornaments. The symbols of the bronze cultures of ancient times on the Eurasian Continent. The dialogues between China and Greece via Scythians, Tokyo, 1994, col. pls 80 and 93.