Description:

East Asia, China, Han Dynasty, ca. 206 BCE to 220 CE. A rare example of a wooden ear cup (known as "erbei") of an ovoid form covered in thick black and red lacquer. The flat-bottomed cup has gently expanding walls which taper towards the top and create the thin rim from which a pair of semicircular "ear" handles project. The handles and upper rim of the bowl are painted black, with red and brown swirling, linear, and zoomorphic motifs that are mirrored on both lengthwise halves. This interior is dark red, with delicate, thin black lines in a quadrant formation around the bowl. Cups like this example were traditionally used for drinking wine from before the Han Dynasty, and the purpose of the handles was to provide stability so that none of the liquid was spilled. Size: 6.2" W x 1.35" H (15.7 cm x 3.4 cm)

Provenance: private New Jersey, USA collection; ex-private California, USA collection, collected prior to 2009

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#147650

  • Condition: Small losses on the rim, notably near one handle corner. Also a stable crack down from the rim in one area. Light deposits on surface and incredible preservation of pigment.

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March 12, 2020 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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