CLICK HERE TO BUY THIS CHINESE TANG BRONZE ELEPHANT & BOY CASTING ELEPHANTS ON CANONBURY ANTIQUES
CHINESE TANG BRONZE ELEPHANT & BOY CASTING ELEPHANTS
You are viewing a fabulous hollow bronze casting of an elephant with a small boy sitting on top. The piece is very characterful and fun, as the small boy appears to be laughing his head off and the elephant blowing his trunk. Perhaps they are in a race of some sort?
It would make for a great decorative item for your home and would particularly appeal to collectors of Eastern objects of art and rarities. We cannot find a signature on the piece. It is offered in perfect condition and has a wonderful patina to it.
The piece is Tang in style due to the intricate patterns etched and painted in gold on the surface of the brown bronze depicting at times Chinese symbols and patterns, some almost Celtic in style. This is hand painted so you can imagine the level of craftmanship that has gone into this particular piece, not to say the time taken – please see close up picture. Overall the patina to the bronze has a lovely dark brown to it.
The Tang dynasty saw a tremendous cultural flowering. Tang institutions and culture were adopted and imitated in Korea and Japan, while Tang culture benefited from the cosmopolitan influences of the far-flung empire. Chinese Buddhism reached its highpoint under the early Tang, with the celebrated pilgrim Xuanzang bringing back Buddhist sutras from India in the mid-7th century; Islam, Manichaeism, and even Judaism were also represented in Tang China. Tang Buddhist missionaries were immensely important to the spread of the religion in Japan and Korea.
Being bronze this will last forever without rusting and hence is a great investment as it will always appreciate in value. Aside from being aesthetically pleasing and nice to look at they can also become heirlooms.
Bronze is any of several alloys consisting mainly of copper and tin. Neither ancient nor modern bronzes consist only of these two metals. Zinc, lead, and silver were added to bronze alloys by Greek and Roman founders for use in tools, weapons, coins, and objects of art. Zinc, lead, and other metals are occasionally present in modern bronze.
CLICK HERE TO BUY THIS CHINESE TANG BRONZE ELEPHANT & BOY CASTING ELEPHANTS ON CANONBURY ANTIQUES
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