AN ARCHAIC BRONZE 'CHILONG' BELT PLAQUE

Eastern Zhou Dynasty

Footnotes

東周 雙龍銅牌飾

Provenance: Ariadne Galleries, New York and London
A distinguished American private collection, acquired from the above 20 May 2017

Published and Illustrated: T.Pang, Treasures of the Eurasian Steppes: Animal Art from 800 BC to 200 AD, New York, 1998, p.167, no.187

來源： Ariadne Galleries，紐約和倫敦
顯赫美國私人收藏，從上處獲得於2017年5月20日

著錄： Tina Pang, 《Treasures of the Eurasian Steppes: Animal Art from 800 BC to 200 AD》，紐約，1998年，第167頁，編號187

The theme of animals in combat, often depicted in contorted and abstracted forms, is a recurring motif in the artistic traditions of the nomadic steppe peoples. Equally prevalent is the contrast between naturalistic and fantastical imagery, as seen here. The dynamic interaction of hybrid creatures—blending real and mythical beasts—elevates the composition beyond the ordinary, evoking a sense of the supernatural and perhaps hinting at religious or magical associations. Scenes of animal predation, in particular, were a favoured subject in the iconography of the pastoral communities along China's north-western frontiers. See a similar bronze plaque, unearthed in Hechuan shangtai cun (何川上台村), Guyuan (固原), Ningxia Province, illustrated by Luo Feng and Han Kongle, 'Ningxia Guyuan jinnian faxian de beifangxi qingtong qi' (寧夏固原近年發現的北方系青銅器), Kaogu, 1990(05), p.413, fig.12:5.

See two related archaic bronze belt buckles, Eastern Zhou dynasty, which were sold at Bonhams Hong Kong, 24 November 2013, lot 588.