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Age? Reproduction? Dynasty? Materials? Which mythical beast?

I was only told that it was made during the Han Dy(BC.206-AD.220)

its length is13inch

its width is7inch

its height is12inch

its weight is 8kg

This is the last piece I currently own.

Thanks!
-Debbie

About the time of the Emperor Xuande a small mythical beast called the Eight Legged Lion makes it'ss appearance on ceramics of the period. It generally has the body of an elephant.
The Eight Legged Lion with the makkarra crocodile and fur bearing fish are mythological creatures of Tibetan Buddhism, the influence for these animals is the dragon jade in previous posts.
The eight legged lion can be seen on the plastic arts of the period including textiles. Look at the front cover to the book Silk and Stone.
Han dynasty bronzes normally winged beasts, the wings are normally incorporated into the body.

The Eight legged lion you can see today on Tibet's flag in the form of a pair of snow lions.
During the 7th Century AD the Chinese Zodiac was introduced into Tibet by the Chinese Princess Wen. During the 18th century the Tibets modified form of the ancient Chinese zodiac Quadrant system consisted of two crouching tigers, now modified to two snow lions as seen on the Tibetan flag now along with the flaming pearl (representing the 1000 spoked wheel of the Buddha's Dhrama wheel.)
I would have to see better photo's before I could hazard a guess at date. It looks a superb bronze though.

Don't ask where the Eight legs are, there should be a pair.
Interestingly Buddhism does not know at present the origins of the makkarra crocodile, fur bearing fish and makarra crocodile. See previous post Ox-leader and the weaving girl, the dragon jade is the origin of these mythical beasts of Tibetan Buddhism.
What the dragon jade does is disprove an Indian origin for the mythology of the makarra crocodile.

Any chance of better photo's and a close up.
Can you also tell the method of casting.
The Tibetan's were and still are excellent bronze casters.

If you go on to Ebay, put in a search for bronze asian art. On page 4 or 5 there is a Rhinocerous of Tibetan origin with similar decoration. 18th century.

Your lion is of the eight legged lion winged vaiety and should be one of a pair.
Your bronze's influence is the Dragon Jade which I recently dated to 2953 BC. Your bronze is further proof of the jade's influence during the time it surfaced.
Tibetan zodiac quadrant system. Kuei, turtle, dragon and tiger.
Dropped turtle in favour of tiger, tiger, Kuei, dragon. Pair of Crouching Tigers dragon, pearl.
Today Two winged snow lions (Eight legged Lion)
pearl.
The winged tibetan lion makes it's first appearance during the reign of Xuande and is a familar animal along with the winged elephant on ceramics of the period. The period where the Tibetans themselves used the winged lion is late 18, early 19th century, before this period it was two crouching tigers (1790).
To get an exact date just trace the Tibetan flag when the changes occured and look at Tibetan art of the 18th onwards and the appearance of the winged lion/kuei/tiger.

In a previous post I submitted a bronze vase. I finally dated the vase to 30th August 1430. It celebrates an eclipse which occured and its path ended on the Western edge of the Caspian Sea.
The vase has a some very unusual features in the animals present. The dragon has a split tail, body claws and silkily rendered fur. The kuei dragon is of a very rare Tibetan 3 horned variety of the period. I'll put a picture up.
(Roundtoit).

"In a previous post I submitted a bronze vase. I finally dated the vase to 30th August 1430. It celebrates an eclipse which occured and its path ended on the Western edge of the Caspian Sea.
The vase has a some very unusual features in the animals present. The dragon has a split tail, body claws and silkily rendered fur. "

WOW! What a STUPENDOUS history! I'd love to see it!

Maybe there are some books or other resources you'd recommend, so I can learn more about this art.

Thanks for sharing-
-Debbie

Dragon - rising sun of the East
Phoenix - the midday sun
Flaming pearl - the setting sun of the West
Kuei - The land of the sunless North (night, the Heavenly Celestial Pool, Pool of Heaven).

Vase itself is the centre of the zodiac quadrant system.

The split tail and background decoration is based Persian in influence.
The Phenomena in the Western Sea is recorded in Shiraz paintings of the period represented by the constellation dolphin.
The body claws of the dragon are Warring States in origin. The dragon is winged.

The vase is so pure and harmonious in it's quadrant system yin/yang concept.

The little kuei dragon is a delight.

njg

PS. There is another winged lion on Ebay?

pics

"PS. There is another winged lion on Ebay?"

Not currently. I did find that rhino you mentioned that's in the same style as my lion. Neat!

I left a bid for the one on Ebay. It came back successful. We have half an Eight Legged Lion each. I will soon know if their right or not when I take delivery.
I'll get back to you.

"I left a bid for the one on Ebay. It came back successful. We have half an Eight Legged Lion each. I will soon know if their right or not when I take delivery.
I'll get back to you."

Congratulations!
Can you send me a link, so I can see the pics?
This is really getting to be fun!

-Debbie

I was looking for the piece you had just won on eBay and I came up with this listing as a "Completed" auction.

My piece was originally described just as an "Archaic Bronze Beast" not as a lion, so that's waht I've ben searching for again. But my recent search for "bronze lion" brought this up.
It has the same black ink-type decorations on it as ours. Also, the wings on this one seem to be more incorporated into the body, not molded separately, then attched, like mine.

But the dealers all list pieces of this type as coming from different periods. That, of course, makes me suspicious as to whether these are genuinely old OR very clever modern repros. OR maybe these dealers just don't know what they're talking about?

What's your opinion of that?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=1212&item=3724685176&rd=1










URL Title :rare bronze lion # han dyansty

These are both repros, a lot of these are being manufactured in China now and being flooded on eBay. From time to time you do see a 19th, or 18th even some times a 17th century bronze of this style, but they are almost always small (a few inches in hight to less than 6 inches usually). With the mainland dealers, if it seems too good to be true it is.


Anthony M. Lee
Asian Art Research

As Mr Lee thinks, too good to be true, but at 40.00 dollars, you can't complain and it's decorative and thematic to the dragon jade.
I wonder if I can get the maker's for copyright
breach. They are after all copying parts of my
Dragon Jade. (Hee Hee).

Here is a link to a hosted site I put together last year. There is the bronze vase of Xuande 19th Aug 1430. The Dragon Jade and Mirror (The site has not been updated (too much messing about.)
The Jade is not Western Zhou. I was following convention at the time, but the stars say otherwise as does other elements of the jade.
7-7-2953 BC. The mirror is 18th century.

The conch I'm still dating, I think it's going to date to 1790.

The Duogwang Lotus bowl speaks for itself. At some point I am going to put up some close ups of the bowl. The detailing in in the enamelling is superb.

The bronze vase and mirror articles outline in principal the ancient Chinese zodiac quadrant system and the Buddhist imperial Mandala system.
When you find these principals on unmarked wares, there are more than likely imeprial items themselves. The marking is in the piece itself.
There is a couple of minor mistakes on the site, but in general principal depending on which period, is the colourings used and wether a vessel is to be used in ancestor worship, Buddhist, Feng Shui. The vessel must harmonise in being pure yin and yang.

The link
http://asiaart.mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/

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