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Subject:Unknown Creature Incense burner(?) Help Requested
Posted By: Maxxxxy Sat, Aug 19, 2017 IP: 174.53.29.53
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Subject:Re: Unknown Creature Incense burner(?) Help Requested
Posted By: Bill H Sun, Aug 20, 2017 It may be a modern novelty but has a prototype in ancient Chinese ritual bronze vessels in the form of owls. The link to Sotheby's seems to have everything all of us have always wanted to know but heretofore have been afraid to ask on this subject. |
Subject:Re: Unknown Creature Incense burner(?) Help Requested
Posted By: Bill H Mon, Aug 21, 2017 In the event that link doesn't work for others, here's one you can try pasting in your browser: |
Subject:Re: Unknown Creature Incense burner(?) Help Requested
Posted By: Bokaba Sun, Aug 20, 2017 This item is purporting to be a ritual vessel from the Shang or Zhou dynasties (2nd millennium BC) during the Bronze Age and should be made of bronze not iron. |
Subject:Re: Unknown Creature Incense burner(?) Help Requested
Posted By: Maxxxxy Mon, Aug 21, 2017 Thanks very much for the help. I see from the Sotheby's piece that this is clearly a representation of a Shang dynasty owl- exactly the information that I was looking for. Yes, obviously artificially stressed in some way. |
Subject:Re: Unknown Creature Incense burner(?) Help Requested
Posted By: Bokaba Mon, Aug 21, 2017 An authentic Shang owl vessel sold at Christies in 2013 for 1.2 million USD. These pieces are extremely rare. Not many were ever made and 3,000 years later, most of the few made have been lost or destroyed. |
Subject:Re: Unknown Creature Incense burner(?) Help Requested
Posted By: Maxxxxy Tue, Aug 22, 2017 Thanks again. Unfortunately my little cast iron owl won't be travelling to Christie's any time soon. |
Subject:Re: Unknown Creature Incense burner(?) Help Requested
Posted By: Bill H Wed, Aug 23, 2017 Before we go our separate ways on this little guy, here's another latter-day model of an archaic vessel I've had for a long time and which shares similar fabrication techniques with the owlet. This piece is based on a Western Zhou wine vessel of a form called "You" (卣). Its non-ferrous metal sides look to be sand-cast in three pieces and soldered to each other and the separate base. The cover and knop look to be cast separately and joined through a drill hole that can be seen from below at the apex. The patina looks to have been fastidiously applied, though I wouldn't attempt to guess what all may have been used besides acid. The interior looks sort of a Bondo red, so there may have been copper in the metal. |
Subject:Re: Unknown Creature Incense burner(?) Help Requested
Posted By: Maxxxxy Thu, Aug 24, 2017 Interesting! My little owl is definitely cast iron. The casting is a reasonably good quality, good detail, the iron fine-grained. Overall well-made. There's no sign of previous painting, as a few places escaped the "aging" process and show a smooth black finish. I like him, I think I may take a soft wire brush and clean him up just a little. |
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