Lot 107A
Southeast Asia, Vietnam, Dong Son Culture, ca. 500 BCE to 100 CE. A sculptural pair of ancient elegance, these bronze coiled arm cuffs from the Dong Son culture spiral with commanding grace. Each cuff is cast in heavy bronze, designed as a thick band that curls upon itself in a single, powerful arc. The terminals taper subtly, their ends staggered just enough to grip the forearm in a tight, assertive clasp. Their surfaces are richly coated in pale green patina, with traces of mineral accretion and embedded soil still clinging to the interior curves - a testament to their long burial in the humid soils of ancient Vietnam. Far from delicate ornament, these arm cuffs speak of rank, resilience, and the mastery of metallurgy. The Dong Son culture, famed for its bronze drums, weapons, and regalia, produced such spiraled forms as both personal adornment and status symbol. Worn by elite individuals, they may have served as emblems of strength, kinship, or ritual affiliation. Size (both about the same): 3.5" Diameter x 2.7" W (8.9 cm x 6.9 cm)
Their coiled design evokes the organic spiral of a serpent or tendril - a visual echo of cyclical time, eternity, and balance. Examples of similar bracelets have been recovered from burial sites across northern Vietnam and Laos, often found alongside ceremonial weapons and bronze drums. Their deliberate symmetry and substantial weight suggest they were not merely decorative, but active participants in a social language of power, prestige, and identity. Timeless in form and enduring in message, these cuffs reflect the rhythmic intelligence of the Dong Son bronze tradition where adornment, utility, and cosmic resonance coil into one.
Provenance: ex-Phoenicia Holyland Antiquities, New York, New York, USA, acquired before 2010
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#176783
- Condition: Weathering to surface as shown, but, otherwise, both are intact, excellent, and wearable with rich, blue-green patina throughout.
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| $5,000 | $9,999 | $500 |
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| $100,000 | $199,999 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 + | $20,000 |