A Gold and Silver-Inlaid Bronze ‘Mythical Beast’ Paperweight Late Ming / Early Qing Dynasty

cast as a paperweight in the form of a crouching mythical beast, depicted with head turned back over its right shoulder, intricately inlaid in gold with details of the eyes, ears, mane, and ribs, and in silver with a design of flames emanating from its haunches, the upper surface of the head inlaid in gold with two stylised ruyi motifs

Collection of Robert Hall, prior to 1975.

Gerard Tsang and Hugh Moss, Arts from the Scholar’s Studio, Fung Ping Shan Museum, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 1986, cat. no. 225.

Good condition, with only minor dents and bruises, especially to the underside. There are also tiny losses to the gold inlay.
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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."

Paperweights in the form of animal figures originated from ancient mat weights, such as the pair of Western Han silver-inlaid bronze mat weights in the form of tigers, preserved in the Miho Museum, Japan, illustrated in Ancient Art from the Shumei Family Collection, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1986, cat. no. 65.  High-quality examples of early sculptures such as these, inlaid with gold and silver, proved an inspiration to metallurgists in the Ming dynasty and later.  The identity of the mythical beast here is not specifically identified, although with its lack of horns and leonine appearance, it may have been intended as a Buddhist lion, although far from a standard version.  The style of the metalwork here is typical of the late Ming dynasty, but the refined quality of both sculpture and inlay might suggest an early Qing date.