An archaistic silver-inlaid bronze figure of a tapir, Ming dynasty | 明 銅錯銀犧尊

Swiss Private Collection.

瑞士私人收藏

The shape and inlaid decoration of this vessel are based on ancient prototypes from the Warring States period, 5th-3rd century B.C., such as one in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated in Special Exhibition of Shang and Chou Dynasty Bronze Wine vessels, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1989, cat. no. 66.

Archaistic vessels of this form have typically been broadly attributed to the Song to Ming dynasties. Compare a similar vessel with spiral relief designs illustrated in Philip K. Hu, Later Chinese Bronzes. The Saint Louis Museum and Robert E. Kresko Collections, Saint Louis, 2008, pl. 6, where the author notes that the presence of relief casting suggests a Ming dynasty manufacture. Compare two others attributed to the Ming dynasty, 16th or 17th century: the first was included in the exhibition Bronzes de la Chine impériale des Song aux Qing, Musée Cernuschi, Paris, 2013, cat. no. 42, the other was sold in these rooms, 15th March 2017, lot 565. Another related example with fewer relief designs, also attributed to the Ming dynasty, is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (accession no. 29.110.9). 

For an example attributed to the Yuan dynasty housed in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, see one included in the exhibition Through the Prism of the Past. Antiquarian Trends in Chinese Art of the 16th to 18th Century, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2008, cat. no. III-55. Compare also one attributed to the Song-Ming dynasty and recently sold in these rooms, 21st September 2021, lot 223. Finally, consider three examples attributed to the Yuan / Ming periods, all sold at auction: one in our Paris rooms, 9th June 2010, lot 37, and the other two sold at Christie's New York, 26th September 2020, lot 1538 and 22nd March 2007, lot 162. 

The dating of this lot is consistent with the results of a thermoluminescence test, Oxford Authentication Ltd., sample no.C119k12.

本拍品經牛津熱釋光檢測編號C119k12，結果與其斷代相符