A GILT-BRONZE ‘TORTOISE’ WEIGHT, HAN DYNASTY
China, 202 BC-220 AD. Boldly cast, the tortoise raises its head, looking up, and curls its tail to one side. The carapace is cast with three notable ridges and the feet with four toes, giving the tortoise a naturalistic form.


Provenance:
P.C. Lu Works of Art Ltd, Hong Kong. From a private collection in the northeastern United States, acquired from the above. Started as a small business in January 1976 in Hong Kong, selling Chinese antiques, P.C. Lu was able to scale operations, eventually sending his son Fred to the MIT to pursue his PhD. Today, many objects from his fine collection are housed in the British Museum.

Condition:
Good condition, commensurate with age, with wear, dents, losses, signs of weathering and erosion, the gilt mostly worn away, encrustations, and rubbing. The bronze has a fine, naturally grown patina with malachite and cuprite encrustations.

Weight: 110.9 g
Dimensions: Length 5.7 cm


The tortoise is one of the Four Fabulous Animals
, the most prominent beasts of China. They govern the four points of the compass, with the Black Tortoise as the ruler of the north, symbolizing endurance, strength, and longevity. The tortoise and the tiger are the only animals of the four who are not purely mythical. The tortoise is sometimes depicted with supernatural features such as dragon ears, flaming tentacles, and a long hairy tail. The Chinese Imperial Army carried flags with images of dragons and tortoises as symbols of power.


Literature comparison:

Compare a related bronze figure of a tortoise, dated to the Han dynasty, in the British Museum, registration number 1947,0712.387. Compare a related bronze turtle-shaped weight, 10.1 cm long, dated to the Han dynasty, in the British Museum, registration number 1938,0524.577.


Auction result comparison:

Type: Related
Auction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 19 January 2023, lot 3044
Price: HKD 504,000 or approx.
EUR 59,000
converted at the time of writing
Description: A set of four bronze ‘tortoise’ weights, Han dynasty
Expert remark: Note this lot is comprised of four tortoise weights. Note the similar wear and style of incised feet. Note the size (6 cm).




漢代鎏金銅烏龜鎮紙


中國，西元前202年-西元220年。烏龜抬起頭，向上看去，尾巴向一側捲曲，腳上有四個腳趾，十分形象生動。


來源：
香港P.C. Lu Works of Art Ltd藝術公司；美國東北部私人收藏購於上述公司。P.C. Lu 藝術公司於1976 年 1 月在香港成立，最初是一家銷售中國古董的小企業，後來擴大運營規模，最終將他的兒子Fred送到麻省理工學院攻讀博士學位。 如今，他的許多精美收藏品都收藏在大英博物館中。

品相：
狀況良好，有磨損、凹痕、缺損、風化和侵蝕的跡象，鎏金大面積磨損、結殼和摩擦。有自然包漿和紅綠色結殼。

重量：110.9 克
尺寸：長 5.7 釐米

龜，即玄武，是中國四大神獸之一，統治北方，象徵著毅力、力量和長壽。 烏龜和老虎是這四種動物中唯一不是神話動物。龜有時被描繪成具有超自然特徵，如龍耳、火焰爪和長毛尾巴。


文獻比較：

比較一件相近的漢代青銅烏龜鎮紙，收藏於大英博物館，館藏編號1947,0712.387。比較一件相近的漢代青銅烏龜鎮紙，長10.1 釐米，收藏於大英博物館，館藏編號1938,0524.577。


拍賣結果比較：

形制：相近
拍賣：香港蘇富比，2023年1月19日，lot 3044
價格：HKD 504,000（相當於今日
EUR 59,000
）
描述：漢青銅龜形鎮紙一組四件
專家評論：請注意此為四件烏龜鎮紙。請注意相近的磨損和足部雕刻、尺寸 (6 釐米)。