Roundel: Bear
300-100 BCE
Description
Horse harness ornament in the shape of a roundel with the depiction of a bear with protruding tongue; the paws are arranged below the frontal head and the animal's muzzle forms the roundel's center. The rounded ears are typical for representations of bears of the Western Han period. The mercury gilding suggests manufacture in China rather than among the tribes to the north, where the bear motif originated. The roundel is framed by a hatched border. It is hollow below and attached to a square, cage-like structure, likley for a harness strap crossing. Green patina over a brown corrosion layer; significant traces of mercury gilding on the relief.
Dimensions
3.1 x 3.5 cm (1 1/4 x 1 3/8 in.)
Provenance
William D. Vogel (H’30), Milwaukee, WI (by 1930-1980), inherited; by Virginia Booth Vogel, Milwaukee, WI (1980-1998), by descent; to Frederick Vogel III, Milwaukee, WI (1998-2016), gift; to The Harvard Art Museums.
Related Artworks
View MoreBronze with gold and silver inlay
5th-3rd century BCEChineseMain metal: Bronze; Ring loop: Mixed copper alloy
9th-8th century BCEUrartianIron
Bronze
9th-8th century BCEIranianCast bronze
11th-10th century BCEChineseBronze
8th-7th century BCEItalicLeaded bronze
6th-3rd century BCEEtruscanBronze
1st millennium BCENear EasternBronze
10th-8th century BCEIranianKaga inlay work: iron with decoration inlaid in sahari (an alloy of copper, tin, and lead); interiors lined with lacquer
19th centuryJapaneseLead
ByzantineLeaded bronze, mercury gilded
3rd-2nd century BCEChinese