A PARCEL-GILT SILVER COMB, TANG DYNASTY China, 618-907. The gilt upper section of the comb is decorated in repoussé with stylized prunus blossoms issuing from scrolling vines and two leaves reminiscent of fishtails, all reserved on a ring-punched ground and enclosed by beaded, diapered, and floral borders.

Provenance: J. J. Lally & Co., New York, USA, 1998. Collection of Julius Eberhardt, acquired from the above and thence by descent. Nagel, Stuttgart, 2 November 2013, lot 3074. A private collector, acquired from the above. Julius Eberhardt (1936-2012) was an Austrian architect and passionate collector of ancient Chinese art. He often bought from J. J. Lally in New York. In the 1990s, he built a private museum of Chinese works of art in central Vienna.
Published: Regina Krahl, Collection Julius Eberhardt: Early Chinese Art, vol. 1, Hong Kong, 1999, p. 236, no. 136 (erroneously described as part of a pair, see Expert’s note).
Condition: Very good condition with old wear, expected signs of oxidization, minor corrosion, rubbing to gilt, few small dents. The reverse with malachite and cuprite encrustation.

Weight: 41.2 g
Dimensions: Length 13.8 cm

Expert’s note: The present lot is published in Regina Krahl, Collection Julius Eberhardt: Early Chinese Art, together with a similar comb, with the lot being described as a pair. A pair of combs, however, appears to be rather unlikely, because there would be no purpose for such a pair, which is the likely reason why these two combs were separated at some point after Julius Eberhardt’s passing.

Literature comparison: Three related combs in the Idemitsu Museum of Arts, Tokyo, are illustrated in Ancient Chinese Arts in The Idemitsu Collection, Tokyo, 1989, pl. 337.

Auction result comparison: Compare a closely related parcel-gilt silver comb, 9.3 cm wide, weight 20.4 g, also dated to the Tang dynasty, at Christie’s New York in Masterpieces of Early Chinese Gold and Silver on 12 September 2019, lot 564, sold for USD 20,000.

唐代鎏金銀梳
中國，618-907年。梳子的鎏金上半部，以錘鍱與鏨刻的技術製作出豆粒紋地上纏枝桃花卷葉紋，兩片葉子讓人聯想起魚尾，四周圍繞著串珠和花卉紋邊框。

來源：紐約J. J. Lally & Co., 1998年；Julius Eberhardt收藏，購於上述藝廊並保存至今；斯圖加特納高拍賣行，2013年11月 2日 lot 3074。私人藏家購於上述拍賣。Julius Eberhardt (1936-2012) 是一位奧地利建築師和中國古代藝術收藏家。 他經常從紐約的 J. J. Lally 藝廊購買藏品。1990年代，他在維也納市中心成立了中國藝術品私人美術館。
出版：Regina Krahl, Julius Eberhardt: Early Chinese Art, vol. 1, Hong Kong, 1999, 頁236, 圖136。
品相：狀態極好，舊磨損，預期的氧化跡象，輕微腐蝕，摩擦至鍍金，少量小凹痕，反面有綠色紅色結殼。

重量：41.2 克
尺寸：長 13.8 釐米

拍賣結果比較：比較一件相近的唐代鎏金銀梳，寬 9.3 釐米，重 20.4 克，見紐約佳士得 Masterpieces of Early Chinese Gold and Silver 2019年9月12日 lot 564, 售價USD 20,000。