Lot 122
East Asia, China, Han Dynasty, ca. 206 BCE to 220 CE. A pair of covered funerary jars, each supported by three feet shaped as stylized upright bears - symbolic guardians associated with strength and protection in Han iconography. The lids rise in bold conical peaks sculpted with swirling ridges to represent sacred mountains, invoking the legendary Kunlun range, believed in Daoist tradition to be the abode of the immortals. Coated in a lustrous green lead glaze, the surface shimmers with a rich, jade-like tone, evoking purity and the supernatural. These "hill jars" (shanxing hu) were typically placed in tombs to hold food or offerings, or possibly used as censers. Their mountainous lids and symbolic animal supports reflect beliefs in transcendence and an afterlife shaped by harmony with cosmic forces. Despite age-related wear and minor losses to the glaze, these vessels retain their powerful visual presence and ceremonial gravitas. Size: 8.75" W x 11" H (22.2 cm x 27.9 cm)
Provenance: Collection of Y. Kayvan, Los Angeles, California, USA, acquired from a Los Angeles, California, USA gallery acquisition dates range from the late 1990s to 2005
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#194993
- Condition: Lids do not match bodies but are of the same era. Wider lid has large cracks that are infilled and stabilized. Chips and losses to the lids and stable fissures on both. Chips to the bodies and craquelure to glaze, but otherwise good condition with out repairs.
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