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; traces of mercury gilding on the relief.
Dimensions
3.3 x 3.5 cm (1 5/16 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 MoreCast bronze with gold and silver inlay
5th-3rd century BCEChineseBronze
11th-8th century BCEChineseBronze with turquoise inlay
16th-11th century BCEChineseBronze
11th-8th century BCEChineseBronze with turquoise inlay
ChineseSilver gilt, worked in repoussé, chased, and incised
13th centuryPersianBronze
17th centuryBelgianBronze
10th-9th century BCEChineseLeaded bronze
2nd century CERomanLead
ByzantineKaga inlay work: iron with decoration inlaid in sahari (an alloy of copper, tin, and lead); interiors lined with lacquer
19th centuryJapaneseCast bronze
11th-10th century BCEChinese