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.
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