A LIFE-SIZE BRONZE HAND, MING DYNASTY Lot n° 314

A LIFE-SIZE BRONZE HAND, MING DYNASTY China, 1368-1644. Heavily cast, the hand held in in vitarka mudra with the index finger curling down to touch the extended thumb, the center of the palm with a floral medallion with two rows of petals surrounded by raised curved wrinkles, the digits and nails of each finger neatly detailed. Provenance: French trade. Condition: Good condition with wear, casting flaws, obvious losses, remnants of gilt, nicks, scratches, signs of weathering and erosion, encrustations. The bronze is covered in a rich, naturally grown patina with malachite and cuprite encrustations. Weight: 838.3 g Dimensions: Height 16.8 cm Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 4 April 2015, lot 2962 Price: HKD 437,000 or approx. EUR 60,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A massive gilt-bronze fragment of a hand, Ming dynasty Expert remark: Compare the related modeling and manner of casting with a similar central floral medallion to the palm surrounded by curved wrinkles. Note the size (54 cm).