AN ORDOS GILT BRONZE ‘COPULATING TIGERS’ PLAQUE,... Lot n° 419

China, Inner Mongolia, Ordos, 5th-3rd century BC. The plaque cast in openwork with two tigers copulating, one mounting the other from behind, with pierced eyes, ears, and paws. Provenance: Grays Antique Center, London, 1999. Dr. Koos de Jong, acquired from the above (invoice not available). Dr. de Jong is a Dutch art historian and has been privately collecting Chinese art over decades. He has authored hundreds of articles and several books on Dutch fine and decorative arts spanning from the Middle Ages to the modern era. In 2013, he published an extensive study of Chinese riding gear in “Dragon & Horse, Saddle Rugs and Other Horse Tack from China and Beyond”. Between 1976 and 2009 he worked for numerous museums across the Netherlands and was the director of the European Ceramic Work Center in Den Bosch. Condition: Good, original condition, remarkable considering the age of this plaque! Some wear, minuscule nicks, and scratches. Originally with inlays, which are missing. Weight: 5.1 g Dimensions: Length 3.1 cm According to E.C. Bunker (see reference below): “Copulating animals occur on artifacts belonging to the non-Chinese peoples that inhabited northern China and Inner Mongolia, particularly areas where hunting was a major element in the local economy. The animals, which include leopards, wild pigs, and deer, are always wild, not domesticated.” Literature comparison: E.C. Bunker, Ancient Bronzes of the Eastern Eurasian Steppes from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, New York 1997, p. 166, no. 71. Auction result comparison: Compare with a related but significantly larger plaque at Christie’s Paris in Arts d’Asie on 26 November 2002, lot 224, sold for EUR 5,875. 戰國鄂爾多斯銅鎏金虎交媾形飾 中國，内蒙古鄂爾多斯，公元前五至三世紀。鏤空的配飾上有兩隻老虎交配，眼睛，耳朵和爪子清晰可辨。 來源：Grays Antique Center, London, 1999. Dr. Koos de Jong收藏，購於上述收藏（發票丟失）。Dr. de Jong是一位荷蘭藝術史學家， 幾十年來他一直私人收藏中國藝術品。他撰寫了數百篇文章和幾本書，內容涉及從中世紀到現代的荷蘭美術和裝飾藝術。 2013年，他在《Dragon & Horse：Saddle Rugs and Other Horse Tack from China and Beyond》中發表了有關中國騎馬裝備的詳盡研究。1976年至2009年間，他曾在荷蘭的許多博物館工作，並曾擔任登博世歐洲陶瓷工作中心的主任。 圖片: Dr. Koos de Jong 與Ingeborg de Roode (照片來自於Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam) 品相：考慮到其年代，實屬良好的原始狀態。一些磨損，微小的划痕和刻痕。 最初有鑲嵌，但已丟失。 重量：5.1 克 尺寸：長3.1 厘米 拍賣結果比較：一件相近但更大的銅牌見巴黎佳士得Arts d’Asie拍場，2002年11月26日lot 224, 售價EUR 5,875.