A PAIR OF GOLD 'DOUBLE-GOURD' EAR PENDANTS MING DYNASTY

each with beaten gold folded into fine pleats and shaped into double-gourds by a small ring cinching the waist, fitted with a filigree four-petal collar securing a long ankyroid wire for piercing through the earlobe, the base set with a cash-shaped reticulated button secured by two thin wire prongs

Chinese Gold and Silver in the Carl Kempe Collection, Smithsonian Institute, Washington, 1954-55, cat.no. 58.

Bo Gyllensvard, Chinese Gold and Silver in the Carl Kempe Collection, Stockholm, 1953, cat.no. 58.
Chinese Gold and Silver in the Carl Kempe Collection, Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, Ulricehamn, 1999, cat.no. 63.
A Botanical Excursion in the Kempe Collection, Stockholm, 1965, pl. 5a.

 

The sides of the gourds have minor dents, but are still in quite good condition.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Made in the form of double-gourds, the present pair of gold earrings has been masterly crafted using plaited gold sheets and decoration in the filigree technique. See a similar pair of double-gourd form earrings illustrated in Zhongguo zhuantong. Jinqi, Beijing, 2006, p. 105 bottom; three further examples published in Jin yu yu, Shanghai, 2004, p. 52, including a pair unearthed from the tomb of Xu Fu at Bancang village outside the Taiping Gate of Nanjing and dated to 1517; and a fourth pair, together with seven variations, illustrated in Simon Kwan and Sun Ji, Chinese Gold Ornaments, Hong Kong, 2003, pl.348.   

Compare also a pair of earrings attributed to the Yuan dynasty, in the form of double-gourds, published in Zhongguo jinyin boli falangqi quanji, vol. 3, Shijiazhuang, 2004, pl. 16, in the Gansu Provincial Museum.

Gold earrings of related form have also been sold at auction; see a pair sold in our New York rooms, 9th December 1987, lot 145; and another sold at Christie's London, 9th December 1991, lot 48, property of J. Sparks Ltd.,

Bottle gourd is an important auspicious symbol with many meanings. Gold earrings, such as the present pair, were possibly made as wedding gifts with the wish for many sons. Gourds have many seeds and are naturally the symbol of fertility.