10th Dec, 2022 11:00

Asian Art Holiday Sale

 
  Lot 2
 

2

A RARE BRONZE SWORD, JIAN, WARRING STATES PERIOD
戰國時期罕見銅劍

Sold for €5,200

including Buyer's Premium


Lot details

China, 475-221 BC. The long, tapering blade has beveled edges and a median ridge on each side. The guard and pommel are prominently cast with a taotie mask in high relief, and the hilt is encircled by raised diagonal designs.

Provenance: From the collection of Harry Geoffrey Beasley (1881-1939), acquired 1 October 1929 (according to label) and thence by descent. From the collection of Dr. Wou Kiuan, acquired from the above. Wou Lien-Pai Museum, coll. no. H.2.24. Harry Geoffrey Beasley (1881-1939) was a British anthropologist and museum curator who developed an important ethnographic collection during the early 20th century that is now held in various British museums. With his wife Irene, Beasley set up the Cranmore Ethnographical Museum which eventually held more than 6,000 objects of ethnographical interest. The Beasleys collected objects from across Europe, buying from auction houses and local museums to expand the collection, which contained material from the Pacific, Asia, Africa, and Northwestern America. Beasley wrote numerous articles for anthropological journals and was considered an expert in his field. He died in 1939 and his collection was stored with the British Museum collections during the war, which was fortunate as the Cranmore Museum was destroyed by bombing. After the war substantial portions of the collection were passed to the British Museum, the Royal Museum in Edinburgh, the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, the University of Cambridge, the Pitt Rivers Museum and the Merseyside County Museum. Other pieces, such as the present lot, were sold by his widow and, after her death in 1974, by their daughters.
Condition: Very good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, losses and fissures, some possibly with associated old fills, weathering and erosion. Fine, naturally grown patina with extensive malachite and cuprite encrustation.

Weight: 579.7 g
Dimensions: Length 40.4 cm

Literature comparison:
Similar cast decoration can be seen on the guard of a Warring States bronze sword of related size (42.1 cm) included in the Illustrated Catalogue of Ancient Bronze Weaponry in the National Palace Museum, Taiwan, 1995, p. 204, pl. 33. Related taotie masks can also be seen on the guards of two Warring States bronze swords illustrated by M. Loehr in Chinese Bronze Age Weapons, Baltimore, 1956, pls. 38 and 40, nos. 98 and 99. Compare also with a closely related sword in The Frank Collection, Christian Deydier, Paris, 2011, page 60, number 19, dated mid - late Spring and Autumn period, 6th-5th century BC, probably Qin culture.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 20 September 2013, lot 1443
Price: USD 27,500 or approx. EUR 33,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A bronze sword, early Warring States period, 5th century BC
Expert remark: Compare the similar form and related but sparse taotie mask design. Note the size (56.5 cm).



戰國時期罕見銅劍
中國,公元前475-221年。劍柄頂端和劍身頂端鑄有饕餮紋,劍柄扁圓分格,劍身有道稜於中間突起,通身積厚綠銅鏽。

來源:Harry Geoffrey Beasley (1881-1939)收藏,購於1929年10月1日 (根據標籤),保存至今;吳 權博士購於上述收藏,收錄與吳蓮白美術館,收藏編號 H.2.24。Harry Geoffrey Beasley (1881-1939) 是一位英國人類學家和博物館館長,他在二十世紀初建立了一個重要的民族志收藏,現在收藏在英國的各個博物館中。Beasley和他的妻子Irene一起建立了Cranmore民族志博物館,該博物館最終收藏了 6,000 多件民族志方面的物品。Beasley 收集了來自歐洲各地的物品,從拍賣行和當地博物館購買以擴大收藏範圍,其中包含來自太平洋、亞洲、非洲和美國西北部的資料。Beasley為人類學期刊撰寫了大量文章,被公認爲是該領域的專家。他於 1939 年去世,他的藏品幸虧在戰爭期間被存放在大英博物館裏,而Cranmore博物館被轟炸摧毀。戰後,大部分藏品被轉移到大英博物館、愛丁堡皇家博物館、劍橋大學考古與人類學博物館、Pitt Rivers博物館和Merseyside County博物館。其他收藏,例如現在的拍品,由他的遺孀出售,在她 1974 年去世後,由他們的女兒出售。
品相:狀況機好,與年齡相符。大面積磨損、缺損,有裂縫,有些可能與修補、風化和侵蝕有關。天然包漿,大量紅綠色銅鏽。

重量:579.7 克
尺寸:長40.4 厘米

文獻比較:
相似的鑄造裝飾可見於一把戰國時期青銅劍的劍柄上,相近的尺寸(42.1 厘米),見台北故宮博物館,《故宮青銅兵器圖錄》,臺灣,1995年,頁204,圖33。兩把戰國時期青銅劍的把手上有相近的饕餮紋,M. Loehr,《Chinese Bronze Age Weapons》,巴爾的摩,1956年,圖38和40,編號98和99。比較一件也非常相近的公元前六至五世紀春秋中期至晚期青銅劍,或為秦文化,見The Frank Collection,《Christian Deydier》,巴黎,2011年,頁60,編號19。

拍賣結果比較:
形制:非常相近
拍賣:紐約佳士得,2013年9月20日,lot 1443
價格:USD 27,500(相當於今日EUR 33,000
描述:西元五世紀戰國早期青銅劍
專家評論:比較相似的外型、相近但稀疏的饕餮紋。請注意尺寸 (56.5 厘米)。

 

China, 475-221 BC. The long, tapering blade has beveled edges and a median ridge on each side. The guard and pommel are prominently cast with a taotie mask in high relief, and the hilt is encircled by raised diagonal designs.

Provenance: From the collection of Harry Geoffrey Beasley (1881-1939), acquired 1 October 1929 (according to label) and thence by descent. From the collection of Dr. Wou Kiuan, acquired from the above. Wou Lien-Pai Museum, coll. no. H.2.24. Harry Geoffrey Beasley (1881-1939) was a British anthropologist and museum curator who developed an important ethnographic collection during the early 20th century that is now held in various British museums. With his wife Irene, Beasley set up the Cranmore Ethnographical Museum which eventually held more than 6,000 objects of ethnographical interest. The Beasleys collected objects from across Europe, buying from auction houses and local museums to expand the collection, which contained material from the Pacific, Asia, Africa, and Northwestern America. Beasley wrote numerous articles for anthropological journals and was considered an expert in his field. He died in 1939 and his collection was stored with the British Museum collections during the war, which was fortunate as the Cranmore Museum was destroyed by bombing. After the war substantial portions of the collection were passed to the British Museum, the Royal Museum in Edinburgh, the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, the University of Cambridge, the Pitt Rivers Museum and the Merseyside County Museum. Other pieces, such as the present lot, were sold by his widow and, after her death in 1974, by their daughters.
Condition: Very good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, losses and fissures, some possibly with associated old fills, weathering and erosion. Fine, naturally grown patina with extensive malachite and cuprite encrustation.

Weight: 579.7 g
Dimensions: Length 40.4 cm

Literature comparison:
Similar cast decoration can be seen on the guard of a Warring States bronze sword of related size (42.1 cm) included in the Illustrated Catalogue of Ancient Bronze Weaponry in the National Palace Museum, Taiwan, 1995, p. 204, pl. 33. Related taotie masks can also be seen on the guards of two Warring States bronze swords illustrated by M. Loehr in Chinese Bronze Age Weapons, Baltimore, 1956, pls. 38 and 40, nos. 98 and 99. Compare also with a closely related sword in The Frank Collection, Christian Deydier, Paris, 2011, page 60, number 19, dated mid - late Spring and Autumn period, 6th-5th century BC, probably Qin culture.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 20 September 2013, lot 1443
Price: USD 27,500 or approx. EUR 33,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A bronze sword, early Warring States period, 5th century BC
Expert remark: Compare the similar form and related but sparse taotie mask design. Note the size (56.5 cm).



戰國時期罕見銅劍
中國,公元前475-221年。劍柄頂端和劍身頂端鑄有饕餮紋,劍柄扁圓分格,劍身有道稜於中間突起,通身積厚綠銅鏽。

來源:Harry Geoffrey Beasley (1881-1939)收藏,購於1929年10月1日 (根據標籤),保存至今;吳 權博士購於上述收藏,收錄與吳蓮白美術館,收藏編號 H.2.24。Harry Geoffrey Beasley (1881-1939) 是一位英國人類學家和博物館館長,他在二十世紀初建立了一個重要的民族志收藏,現在收藏在英國的各個博物館中。Beasley和他的妻子Irene一起建立了Cranmore民族志博物館,該博物館最終收藏了 6,000 多件民族志方面的物品。Beasley 收集了來自歐洲各地的物品,從拍賣行和當地博物館購買以擴大收藏範圍,其中包含來自太平洋、亞洲、非洲和美國西北部的資料。Beasley為人類學期刊撰寫了大量文章,被公認爲是該領域的專家。他於 1939 年去世,他的藏品幸虧在戰爭期間被存放在大英博物館裏,而Cranmore博物館被轟炸摧毀。戰後,大部分藏品被轉移到大英博物館、愛丁堡皇家博物館、劍橋大學考古與人類學博物館、Pitt Rivers博物館和Merseyside County博物館。其他收藏,例如現在的拍品,由他的遺孀出售,在她 1974 年去世後,由他們的女兒出售。
品相:狀況機好,與年齡相符。大面積磨損、缺損,有裂縫,有些可能與修補、風化和侵蝕有關。天然包漿,大量紅綠色銅鏽。

重量:579.7 克
尺寸:長40.4 厘米

文獻比較:
相似的鑄造裝飾可見於一把戰國時期青銅劍的劍柄上,相近的尺寸(42.1 厘米),見台北故宮博物館,《故宮青銅兵器圖錄》,臺灣,1995年,頁204,圖33。兩把戰國時期青銅劍的把手上有相近的饕餮紋,M. Loehr,《Chinese Bronze Age Weapons》,巴爾的摩,1956年,圖38和40,編號98和99。比較一件也非常相近的公元前六至五世紀春秋中期至晚期青銅劍,或為秦文化,見The Frank Collection,《Christian Deydier》,巴黎,2011年,頁60,編號19。

拍賣結果比較:
形制:非常相近
拍賣:紐約佳士得,2013年9月20日,lot 1443
價格:USD 27,500(相當於今日EUR 33,000
描述:西元五世紀戰國早期青銅劍
專家評論:比較相似的外型、相近但稀疏的饕餮紋。請注意尺寸 (56.5 厘米)。

Zacke Live Online Bidding

Our online bidding platform makes it easier than ever to bid in our auctions! When you bid through our website, you can take advantage of our premium buyer's terms without incurring any additional online bidding surcharges.

To bid live online, you'll need to create an online account. Once your account is created and your identity is verified, you can register to bid in an auction up to 12 hours before the auction begins. 

Create an Account

  

Intended Spend and Bid Limits

When you register to bid in an online auction, you will need to share your intended maximum spending budget for the auction. We will then review your intended spend and set a bid limit for you. Once you have pre-registered for a live online auction, you can see your intended spend and bid limit by going to 'Account Settings' and clicking on 'Live Bidding Registrations'. 

Your bid limit will be the maximum amount you can bid during the auction. Your bid limit is for the hammer price and is not affected by the buyer’s premium and VAT.  For example, if you have a bid limit of €1,000 and place two winning bids for €300 and €200, then you will only be able to bid €500 for the rest of the auction. If you try to place a bid that is higher than €500, you will not be able to do so.

 

Online Absentee and Telephone Bids

You can now leave absentee and telephone bids on our website! 

Absentee Bidding

Once you've created an account and your identity is verified, you can leave your absentee bid directly on the lot page. We will contact you when your bids have been confirmed.

Telephone Bidding

Once you've created an account and your identity is verified, you can leave telephone bids online. We will contact you when your bids have been confirmed.

Telephone Bidding Form

 

Classic Absentee and Telephone Bidding Form

You can still submit absentee and telephone bids by email or fax if you prefer. Simply fill out the Absentee Bidding/Telephone bidding form and return it to us by email at office@zacke.at or by fax at +43 (1) 532 04 52 20. You can download the PDF from our Upcoming Auctions page. 

 

How-To Guides

How to Create Your Personal Zacke Account
How to Register to Bid on Zacke Live
How to Leave Absentee Bids Online
How to Leave Telephone Bids Online

 

中文版本的操作指南 

创建新账号
注册Zacke Live在线直播竞拍(免平台费)
缺席投标和电话投标

 

Third-Party Bidding

We partner with best-in-class third-party partners to make it easy for you to bid online in the channel of your choice. Please note that if you bid with one of our third-party online partners, then there will be a live bidding surcharge on top of your final purchase price. You can find all of our fees here. Here's a full list of our third-party partners:

  • 51 Bid Live
  • EpaiLive
  • ArtFoxLive
  • Invaluable
  • LiveAuctioneers
  • the-saleroom
  • lot-tissimo
  • Drouot

Please note that we place different auctions on different platforms. For example, in general, we only place Chinese art auctions on 51 Bid Live.

  

Bidding in Person

You must register to bid in person and will be assigned a paddle at the auction. Please contact us at office@zacke.at or +43 (1) 532 04 52 for the latest local health and safety guidelines.