AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE GILT AND SILVERED GLASS-INLAID BIRD-FORM FITTING EASTERN ZHOU - HAN DYNASTY |

elaborately cast in the form of a mythical bird depicted frontally, with its head modeled in high relief, detailed with black glass-inlaid eyes and a short pointed beak, its wings outstretched accentuated with silver scrolls, its long gently curved tail extending upward into a fan shape, the reverse hollow and set with six small loops for attachment

Frank Caro, successor to C.T. Loo, New York, 4th June 1959.
Collection of Stephen Junkunc, III (d. 1978). 

An Exhibition of Chinese Bronzes, C.T. Loo & Co., New York, 1939, pl. XXVII, no. 122.

The upright tail with a restored break, as visible in the catalogue illustration. The upper loop on the reverse has been reattached. There are some minor nicks along the edges and small losses to the inlay. Overall with some expected wear to the surface and gilding and some small areas of malachite encrustation, all consistent with age.
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.

Remarkable for its unusual form and sumptuous decorative style, gilt and silvered fittings of this type are extremely rare. Only one other example appears to be published, possibly a pair to the present fitting, reportedly discovered in Luoyang, sold at Hôtel Drouot, Paris, 4th December 1952, lot 41 (fig. 1). Fittings of this type usually functioned as an ornamental object, as evidenced by the small loops set to the back. A related fitting, cast in the form of frontal ram head flanked by two crouching wolves, set with a vertical loop to the back, identified as a bridle ornament, from North China and dated 3rd century B.C., from the Therese and Erwin Harris Collection, is included in the exhibition, Trader and Raiders on China's Northern Frontier, Washington, D.C., 1995, cat. no. 55. Compare also a glass-inlaid gilt bronze mythical bird, rendered with a similarly styled head, dating to the Warring States/early Western Han dynasty, exhibited Archaic Chinese Bronzes, Jades and Works of Art, J.J. Lally & Co., 1994, cat. no. 60.