A BRONZE MAT WEIGHTHAN DYNASTY |

cast in the round, the figure seated with the head bowed and legs tucked under, leaning on one arm, the other resting on the knee, wearing a voluminous robe with the long sleeves concealing the hands, the face incised with bushy brows and beard with a broad nose, extensive remnants of red pigment, the hollow interior filled with lead

Collection of Stephen Junkunc, III (d. 1978).

In overall good condition with age-appropriate wear. The underside with a small later-drilled aperture to the lead infill, likely for attachment to a stand.
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.

Striking for its fluid exaggerated pose, the present stylized figure represents the fully developed bronze sculptural tradition of the Han dynasty (206 BC - 221 AD). Filled with lead or clay, such figures were produced in sets of four and served to hold down mats for seating and for playing liubo. One such set of figures, excavated from tomb no. 1 at Fujiagou, Lingtai county, Gansu province and now in the Lingtai County Cultural Center, is illustrated in The Great Treasury of Chinese Fine Arts. Sculpture of the Qin and Han Dynasties, vol. 2, Beijing, 1988, pl. 75, where the figures are described as dice players. Another complete set in the Musées Royaux d'Art et d'Histoire, Brussels, is illustrated in Christian Deydier, Chinese Bronzes, New York, 1980, pl. 102; and another in the Idemitsu Museum of Arts, Tokyo, is illustrated in Ancient Chinese Arts in the Idemitsu Collection, Tokyo, 1989, pl. 253. A fourth complete set was sold in our London rooms, 5th December 1995, lot 20.  Individual weights cast in similar pose to the present example include two in the exhibition Kandai no Bijutsu [Arts of the Han Dynasty], Osaka Municipal Museum, 1974, cat. nos 2-169 and 2-170. The latter was previously sold in our London rooms, 11th July 1972, lot 281, and then sold again in the same rooms, 7th June 1988, lot 5. Further examples include one sold in these rooms, 6th April 1982, lot 23; and another sold at Christie's New York, 2nd December 1986, lot 330.