† A PAIR OF BRONZE DRAGON FITTINGS, ZHOU DYNASTY

拍品描述

† A PAIR OF BRONZE DRAGON FITTINGS, ZHOU DYNASTY China, 1046 to 256 BCE. Cast as a pair of dragons, each with a sinuous, twisting body and fierce, open-mouthed expression. The bodies are richly textured with archaic motifs, including scaled surfaces and key fret bands along the limbs and tail. The heads with pronounced eyes, and curling horns. One dragon retains the two prongs for attachment to the bell. Dimensions: Length 9.5 cm each The fittings were likely once part of a ritual bell, which would have been suspended facing downward from its handle. The handles are semi-circular, sometimes plain but more often elaborately decorated with three-dimensional animal forms, as in the present example. 13% VAT will be added to the hammer price additional to the buyer's premium - only for buyers within the EU.

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