A small gilt-bronze 'tortoise' water dropper, Song - Ming dynasty

Christie's London, 16th April 1980, lot 60.

Sydney L. Moss Ltd., London, 2006.

Collection of Ian and Susan Wilson.

Christie's New York, 17th March 2016, lot 1156.

Tortoises have long been associated with longevity and good fortune in the Chinese tradition on account of their long lifespans. Already embraced as a common motif by the Han dynasty, modelled as bronze seals and water droppers, tortoise forms continued to be treasured in the Song dynasty as demand grew for beautiful and auspicious desk equipment for the flourishing scholar-official class. Compare a related water dropper, cast with a more prominent raised shell, from the Sedgwick and Tapper Goldman Collections, sold at Christie’s New York, 22nd March 2024, lot 887.