Winter 2002

	1 A very fine bronze jia Shang dynasty Height: 12 1/4 in, 31 cm supported on three splayed legs, each with four faces, the rounded vessel rises from a flat base, steps inward and flares towards the rim that is surmounted by two capped posts. *Click picture for more information*
	2 An unusual small bronze ding Early Western Zhou period Height: 7 5/8 in, 19.4 cm supported on three slender legs, the shallow vessel has two upright loop handles issuing from the rim.
	3 A bronze jue 13th/11th centuries BC Height: 7 7/8 in, 20 cm the deep, ovoid body is supported on three long, blade-shaped legs and is simply decorated with three horizontal bowstring lines interrupted by a pictogram inscribed beneath the strap handle.
	4 An unusual bronze belt hook (daigou) Warring States period Length: 5 in, 12.6 cm the long, rounded shaft is cast with an insect’s head at the base and terminates with a hook in the form of a duck’s beak.
	5 A fine and rare bronze belt buckle (daikou) Eastern Zhou dynasty, 5th century BC Length: 5 1/2 in, 14 cm formed of two plaques, each cast as a tiger-like animal, with the tail of one forming a hook and the other a loop.
	6 A fine and rare bronze model of a tapir Warring States period Length: 7 3/4 in, 19.7 cm solid and moulded in a recumbent position.
	7 A pair of very fine and rare bronze cups (yi ) Warring States period, 4th century BC Width: 6 1/8 in, 15.6 cm of broad, heart-shaped section, each well-rounded vessel is supported on a spreading, similarly shaped foot.
	8 A good gilt-bronze plaque Western Han dynasty Length: 7 1/8 in, 18.1 cm of tapering oval form, the plaque is decorated in repoussé with a panel, surrounded by a rope-twist border, containing a sinuously curling dragon and a phoenix.
	9 A pair of fine and rare bronze finials Warring States period Length: 4 1/4 in, 10.8 cm of rectangular section and crisply cast with bold monster heads to the ends.
	10 A rare, fish-shaped bronze vessel and cover (hu) Western Han dynasty Height: 11 3/8 in, 28.9 cm of flattened form and supported on a slanted foot in the shape of a pointed ellipse; the vessel rises to a short, cylindrical neck and terminates in a thickened rim.
	11 A very fine and rare gilt-bronze dragon-head finial Western Han dynasty Length: 9 1/2 in, 24.2 cm the hollow, cylindrical finial terminates in a dragon’s head. *Click picture for more information*
	12 A fine, engraved gilt and silvered-bronze vessel (hu) Western Han dynasty Height: 14 1/2 in, 36.8 cm the slightly compressed globular body is supported on a tall foot ring, rising to a waisted neck and terminating in a thickened rim.
	13 A very fine and rare gilt-bronze taotie mask Northern Wei dynasty Height: 4 3/8 in, 11.2 cm cast in openwork with a man, supported by confronting dragons, above a monster mask.
	14 An unusual, ribbed bronze box and cover Tang dynasty Height: 3 3/4 in, 9.5 cm the cylindrical vessel is decorated with evenly spaced, grooved horizontal ribs separated by concave bands.
	15 A fine and rare bronze mirror with silver-inlaid decoration (pingtuo) Tang dynasty Width/height: 6 3/8 in, 16.1 cm of square form with rounded corners and a plain central knop.
	16 A fine and rare bronze censer and cover Tang dynasty, 8th century Height: 5 1/4 in, 13.3 cm supported on five legs issuing from well-cast lion-masks and terminating in pawed feet, the circular-section censer has straight sides decorated with three bowstring lines and ends in a flat, everted rim.
	17 A rare bronze weight Six Dynasties Length: 2 1/2 in, 6.5 cm well cast in the form of a crouching male mythical beast with his head turned over his shoulder in an alert, aggressive posture.
	18 A good bronze mirror Song dynasty Diameter: 5 3/4 in, 14.5 cm of six-lobed form, the recessed surface is cast in relief with a design of four boys amid leafy floral scrolls around a plain central knop.
	19 An unusual bronze cupstand Northern Song dynasty Diameter: 5 1/2 in, 14 cm composed of three sections: a spreading foot; a six-lobed saucer with radiating ribs; and a bowl-shaped stand.
	20 A fine, small, inlaid bronze covered vessel Song to Ming dynasty Length: 3 1/8 in, 8 cm after an archaic bronze xu. The vessel, supported on a spreading, rounded rectangular foot, has a low body tapering towards the cover and is set with two loop handles and applied with two taotie masks.
	21 A very fine and rare bronze basin Yuan dynasty Diameter: 19 in, 48.2 cm supported on three low bracket feet. The well is superbly cast and chased with a lotus pond in high and low relief.
	22 A fine, inlaid bronze water dropper Late Ming dynasty Length: 2 3/4 in, 7 cm cast in the form of a phoenix-like mythical bird and decorated with gold and silver inlay.
	23 A fine and unusual parcel-gilt bronze group Ming dynasty Height: 3 3/4 in, 9.5 cm cast as a scholar riding a horse across a bridge.
	24 A pair of very fine gilt-bronze covered ewers 17th century Height: 11 7/8 in, 30.1 cm each ewer is supported on a high, spreading foot, pierced in the form of eight pendent leaves and chased with leaf scrolls.
	25 A very fine parcel-gilt bronze covered censer Kangxi period Length: 12 1/4 in, 31 cm of rounded rectangular section, the censer is supported on a slightly spreading foot ring cast with a band of lotus lappets.
	26 A pair of fine and rare bronze candlesticks Ming dynasty Height: 30 1/2 in, 77.5 cm their bases are in the form of foreigners, kneeling in mirror-image poses on integral stepped stands with curved aprons.