155 - A RARE BRONZE ‘BUFFALO’ BELL, DONG SON CULTURE

A RARE BRONZE ‘BUFFALO’ BELL, DONG SON CULTURE Northern Vietnam, c. 400 BC-100 AD. Finely cast with a long slit along the bottom and a large suspension tube at the top, centered by a bull’s head, issuing a sinuous rope-halter encircling the globular bell with the surface entirely covered in neatly incised spiral lines characteristic of the Dong Son culture. Provenance: From the private collection of Darwin Freeman, collected between 1968 and 1971, and thence by descent within the same family. Born 1946 in Idaho, USA, Darwin Freeman was a member of the armed forces and later became an avid collector. He met his wife in the mid-1960s, and the pair later relocated to her hometown of Innsbruck, Austria. In 1967, Freeman was drafted into the US Army and served in Germany and Thailand. While he was stationed at the Embassy in Bangkok, between 1969 and 1971, he actively began engaging in the exploration and collection of ancient bronzes and other works of art. Upon completing his duty, Freeman arranged for his collection to be shipped to Austria, where it remained in storage until this day. Condition: Very good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, signs of weathering and erosion, and encrustations indicating a prolonged period of burial. The bronze is covered in a rich, naturally grown patina with vibrant malachite encrustations. Weight: 832.1 g (excl. stand), 1.3 kg (incl. stand) Dimensions: Height 9.4 cm (excl. stand), 18.7 cm (incl. stand) With an associated metal stand. (2) Dong Son (named for a village in Thanh Hoa, Vietnam) was a Bronze Age culture in ancient Vietnam centered at the Red River Valley of northern Vietnam from 1000 BC until the first century AD. Vietnamese historians attribute it to the states of Văn Lang and Âu Lạc. Its influence spread to other parts of Southeast Asia, including Maritime Southeast Asia, throughout the first millennium BC. The culture long remained a mystery to western archaeologists, and it was known only through its bronze objects, many of which were taken from burial sites. Dong Son bronze objects were exhibited in Europe for a century before their original location was even determined, and several theories and speculations over the dating methodologies of the culture continue to this day. Literature comparison: Compare a closely related Dong Son culture bronze bell, 4.4 cm long, dated ca. 400 BC-100 AD, in the Hartenberger World Music Collection of Historical Instruments, accession number 2AS-IDST-07-16. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie’s London, 30 January 2019, lot 149 Price: GBP 5,250 or approx. EUR 8,500 ( for four) converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: Four Cambodian Dong Son buffalo bells, Battambang province, probably 300 BC-300 AD Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and manner of casting. Note that this lot comprises four bells.