Chinese Han Style Gilt Bronze Coiled Dragonesque Scroll Weight

With high-relief figure with a florid arch, with much pigment remaining; the figure dressed in copious robes with tall headdress, holding in both hands a hookah with the pipe in the mouth; impressed handprint to the reverse; repaired. 5.97 kg, 30 cm

Repaired

Acquired 1970s-1990s. Hong Kong collection. Ex West Country collection, UK.

Modelled in the round; the horse in advancing pose with one foreleg raised, copious mane; the female rider with upright posture, wearing an ankle-length coral-coloured robe with long bell sleeves, scooped shoulder panels and raised collar, hair piled in an elaborate bun; remains of pigment to the hair and footwear, face and other details. 3.4 kg, 49.5 cm

Finely modelled.

Ex West Country collection, Bath, Somerset, UK, 1970-2000s. Accompanied by a thermoluminescence analysis report, sample no.C121m34 from Oxford Authentication. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11367-189790.

Modelled with semi-naturalistic anatomical detailing, standing on a rectangular base, extensive remains of painted pigmentation, the horse with a cropped mane, painted bridle, harness and decorative saddlecloth, prey animal slung behind saddle, rider in the saddle leaning forwards with one arm raised, hand in a gripping position forming a socket to accept a weapon or other object. 3.8 kg, 40 cm

Fine condition.

Acquired 1990s. West Country, UK, collection. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11364-193072.

The Lari Festival was a Chinese celebration observed during the Tang era, intended to offer sacrifice to various gods at the end of the year. In the Tang Dynasty, it was a custom to hunt on this day, which was not only meant to meet the demand for sacrifice, but also to emphasise warrior culture, with his love of the hunt. In the poem titled Hunting On Lari Festival, Yao He in the mid and late periods of the Tang Dynasty also mentioned one of his collective hunting events to meet the demand for sacrifice on that festival when he was governor of Jin Zhou. Emperor Xianzong was very much astounded at such slaughters of foxes and hares and observed, "Every Lari Festival recent years, I heard some prefectures and counties, to take something to the capital, catch and raise foxes and hares to serve as tributes” (Complete Tang Proses,Vol. 60); therefore he issued the Fox & Hare Hunting Forbidding Decree.