A very rare pair of gilt-bronze ‘dragon’ ornaments, Qing dynasty, 18th century | 清十八世紀　鎏金銅鑄透雕雲龍紋帳鉤一對

Sotheby's Hong Kong, 8th April 2011, lot 2824.

Chugoku Bijutsu ten series 5: Minshin no Bijutsu [Chinese Art Exhibition Series 5: Arts of the Ming and Qing dynasties], Osaka City Museum of Replica Handbags s, Osaka, 1980, cat. no. 3-15.

Exquisitely cast in openwork to depict two dragons emerging amidst swirling clouds, the fine craftsmanship of the present piece is reminiscent of the level and style associated with gold of the same period, and no other related example appears to have been published. Dragons represent high rank and power while two facing dragons traditionally symbolise a happy reunion. This piece may have been used as a hook and its curvaceous form appears to be loosely based on much smaller garment hooks of the Warring States period (475-221BC), such as one in the Museum of East Asian Art, Bath, included in the Inaugural Exhibition. Chinese Metalwares and Decorative Arts, The Museum of East Asian Art, Bath, 1993, cat. no. 238.

來源

香港蘇富比2011年4月8日，編號2824

展覽

《中国美術展シリーズ5．明清の美術》，大阪市立美術館，大阪，1980年，編號3-15

此對鏤空珍品以精湛工藝鑄就雙龍騰雲之姿，其細膩做工令人聯想到同期金器的水準與風格，迄今未見類似著錄實例。龍紋象徵尊貴與權位，而相向雙龍傳統寓意喜慶團圓。此物應作掛鉤之用，其婉轉造型似遠承戰國時期（西元前475-221年）較小形制衣鉤之遺韻，如巴斯東亞藝術博物館藏一例，載於《開館展：中國金屬器與裝飾藝術》，巴斯東亞藝術博物館，1993年，編號238。