A BRONZE ‘HUNTING’ GROUP, MING DYNASTY China, 1368-1644. Finely cast as a dog seated on its rear haunches, its spine neatly articulated, the mouth agape revealing teeth and a long tongue, the bulging eyes lending the animal a quizzical expression, a collar around its neck centered by a small double-gourd. A small falcon with incised wings is perched on the dog’s head.

Provenance: French trade.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and casting flaws, few small dents and minuscule nicks, occasional light scratches. Fine, naturally grown, smooth patina.

Weight: 662.5 g
Dimensions: Height 13.7 cm

Expert’s note: The dog depicted in this bronze is most likely a Saluki, originally bred in the Fertile Crescent and once used by nomadic tribes to run down game animals. Examples of dogs that look like Salukis were painted by the Xuande Emperor, who himself was an avid hunter, a characteristic shared by many Ming Emperors. The falcon, depicted in the present bronze perched on the dog’s head, is another animal widely used in hunting, and would have been known as such to the Ming from the previous ruling dynasty in China, the Yuan.

明代銅犬鎮紙
中國，1368-1644年。銅犬蹲坐，背部挺拔，嘴巴張開，露出牙齒和舌頭，大眼凸出，似乎露出疑惑的表情，脖子上戴著項圈。一隻展翅的小獵鷹站在它的頭上。

來源：法國古玩市場。
品相：狀況極好，有輕微磨損和鑄造瑕疵、小凹痕和微小的刻痕，局部有輕微的劃痕。包漿自然光滑細膩。

重量：662.5 克
尺寸：高13.7 厘米