AN ORDOS BRONZE ‘COPULATING TIGERS’ PLAQUE, WARRING... Lot n° 508

China, Inner Mongolia, Ordos, 475-221 BC. The plaque cast in openwork with two tigers copulating, the male mounting the female from behind, with pierced eyes, ears, paws, and mouths. Condition: Good, original condition, remarkable considering the age of this plaque! Some wear, miniscule nicks and scratches, minor dents and tiny losses. Originally with inlays, which are missing. Fine dark patina. Provenance: Grays Antique Center, London. Dr. Koos de Jong, acquired from the above in 1999. 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 and published an extensive study of saddle rugs 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 director of the European Ceramic Work Center in Den Bosch. Weight: 5.2 g Dimensions: Length 3 cm According to Emma 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. ??????????? ???????????????475-221??????????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ??????????????????????? ??????????????????? ?????Grays Antique Center?????Drs. Koos de Jong???1999????????Drs. de Jong??????????? ????????????????????????????????????????????????????? 2013?????Dragon & Horse?