A GOLD-FOIL FITTING WARRING STATES PERIOD

cut from paper-thin gold sheet and beaten in the shape of an animal in profile, the head facing right and with a long pointed snout, the curved body finely decorated with a dense design of intertwined dragons and snakes in repousse, glass frame

Chinese Gold and Silver in the Carl Kempe Collection, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., 1954-55, cat. no. 9.

Bo Gyllensvärd, Chinese Gold and Silver in the Carl Kempe Collection, Stockholm, 1953, pl. 9.

Chinese Gold and Silver in the Carl Kempe Collection, The Museum of Art and Far Eastern Antiquities in Ulricehamn, Ulricehamn, 1999, pl. 8.

The foil is in overall good condition for age. The surface shows very light overall wear and scratching.
"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."

A pair of gold plaques of this type, from the Mottahedeh collection and illustrated in The Animal in Chinese Art, London, 1968, pl. 111, was included in the China Institute in America exhibition Early Chinese Gold and Silver, China House Gallery, New York, 1971, cat. no. 3, together with another thin gold plaque with a slight design variation, pl. 4, from the collection of Mr. and Mrs. Richard C. Bull. S  ee further examples, one in the form of a taotie mask and one cut in the shape of a dragon with a bird's head, from private collections included in Han Wei and Christian Deydier, Ancient Chinese Gold, Paris, 2001, pls. 30- 31. 

Several examples attributed to the Spring and Autumn period of the Eastern Zhou ,are published in Simon Kwan and Sun Ji, Chinese Gold Ornaments, Hong Kong, 2003, pls. 10 and 12.