A BROWN AND RED LACQUER ‘EAR’ CUP, ERBEI, WARRING STATES PERIOD TO WESTERN HAN DYNASTY
This lot is from a single owner collection and is therefore offered without reserve

China, Chu state, 3rd century BC. Of elliptical form, with deep rounded sides resting on a flat base, flanked by a pair of rounded ear-shaped handles set at a slight angle. The exterior covered with a dark brown lacquer, the rim and handles with red-lacquered geometric motifs, the interior finely decorated with a pheasant flanked by two swimming carp and interspersed with delicate stylized sprays, all in black and ochre against a lustrous red ground.

Provenance: The Collection of Sam and Myrna Myers, Paris, France. Acquired between circa 1965-2012.
Condition: Condition as expected from this group of wares and commensurate with age, with old wear, minor traces of use, sparse nicks, few small chips, and losses to lacquer.

Weight: 75.7 g
Dimensions: Length 14.4 cm

The Chu state, noted for its lacquer production, had become the major cultural force in south-central China by the Warring States period. The visual arts of Chu are often characterized as shamanistic in response to the prevalence of images of fairylike creatures riding on dragons, or clouds that change imperceptibly into dragons, and, as they meander through the sky, transform again into dragons. The playful lines painted on this winged cup are though a later stylized version of the traditional cloud-dragon motif, combined with a repertory of fantastic animals, birds, and anthropoid figures. These elements sometimes appear interrelated in order to express a mystical idea or vision; in other instances, they seem to fulfill a narrative purpose. The two large winglike appendages on the cup are often described as ‘ears’ in Chinese writings and cups of this type, generally termed ‘ear cups’ (erbei), are known from at least the 8th century BC. The current lot was most likely once part of a matched set of eating and drinking vessels.

Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related lacquered ear cup with phoenix pattern, dated to the Warring States period, 16 cm long, in the Shanghai Museum and illustrated in their catalog In a Myriad of Forms: The Ancient Chinese Lacquers, Shanghai, 2018, p. 43-44. Compare a related lacquered ear cup, dated to the Qin dynasty 221-206 BC, 19.2 cm long, in the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, object number 48-36/4. Compare a related lacquered ear cup with geometric designs, dated to the Warring States period, 3th century BC, 15.2 cm long, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 1974.268.4.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Bonhams Hong Kong, 29 May 2022, lot 107
Price: HKD 51,000 or approx. EUR 6,000 (for two) converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A rare pair of painted ‘ear’ cups, Western Han dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the related form, decorative style, and lacquering technique. Note the size (11 cm).