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† AN IVORY COLORED JADE COMB HANDLE WITH TAOTIE MASK, LIANGZHU CULTURE

† AN IVORY COLORED JADE COMB HANDLE WITH TAOTIE MASK, LIANGZHU CULTURE China, circa 3300-2200 BC. This type of jade handle is also known as a ‘comb crown’ and of trapezoid shape with a coronet top. A comb would have been fitted to the three apertures on the lower end and used as a hair ornament. The center of each side is decorated with a mask motif characterized by circular pupils framed by finely incised lines and scrolls. The opaque stone is of a pale and creamy ivory color. Provenance: U.S. collection. The stand with an inscribed label. The authentication of this piece was conducted by Senior Fellow Gu Fang of the Institute of Archeology Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) on 28 August 2012, number 8494, described as ‘Jade comb handle with animal mask decoration‘, dated to the Liangzhu culture (3200-2300 BC), signed by Gu Fang, and notarized by Notary Noreen J. Lowery, New York. Gu Fang, born 1962 in Beijing, graduated from the Department of Archeology of the prestigious Beijing University in 1986. He later studied at the CASS where he is now working as a Senior Fellow specializing in Archeological excavations and research on Chinese Jades. Gu Fang authored several books on Chinese jades including 15 volumes on ‘The Complete Collection of Jades Unearthed in China’, one of the largest collections of Chinese jades to date. Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, minor nibbling, signs of weathering and erosion, and soil encrustations. The stone with natural fissures, some of which have developed into small hairline cracks over time. The stone with a smooth polish. External Expert Authentication: A copy of the authentication report from Senior Fellow Gu Fang of the Institute of Archeology Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) accompanies this lot and will be transmitted to the winning bidder. Weight: 62.2 g Dimensions: Length 8.2 cm Mounted to a modern metal stand. (2) Literature comparison: Compare a related crown shape jade ornament but without mask decoration, exhibited in J.J. Lally & Co. Oriental Art, Ancient Chinese Jade, 15-29 March 2018, no. 40. Several closely related jade comb handles are illustrated in Elizabeth Child-Johnson and Gu Fang ‘The Jade Age: Early Chinese Jades in American Museums’, Beijing, Science press, 2009, p. 344. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 28 November 2019, lot 712 Price: HKD 625,000 or approx. EUR 81,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A calcified jade comb plaque Neolithic period, Liangzhu culture Expert remark: Compare the related form, central mask motif, and color of the jade. Note the incision work and smaller size (5.8 cm). 13% VAT will be added to the hammer price additional to the buyer's premium - only for buyers within the EU.

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† AN IVORY COLORED JADE COMB HANDLE WITH TAOTIE MASK, LIANGZHU CULTURE

Estimate 1 500 - 3 000 EUR
Starting price 1 500 EUR

* Not including buyer’s premium.
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For sale on Friday 28 Jun : 11:00 (CEST)
vienna, Austria
Galerie Zacke
+4315320452
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