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Chinese bronze 5 claw dragon water fountain - Qing dynasty?

Posted By: TimG
Posted Date: Dec 18, 2017 (07:43 AM)

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Thanks for the reply, Brandon.

You're could be right about the age, and maybe even as late as mid 20th c.

I'm familiar with the 5 claw restriction, but I always thought that the restriction really loosened up during the 19th c.

You probably noticed that the claws of my fountains also conform to the traditional pin wheel shape used in the Qianlong period, while during the 19th c., the claws changed to what is sometimes referred to as Chicken Foot (where some toes point forward, while others point back).

Whoever created this piece understood the motif of the Imperial dragon design of the Qianlong era. Perhaps that is another clue that is another clue pointing towards the bronzes being of the Republic era as they were quite interested in a renaissance of the craftsmanship of past Imperial times.

Although hard to see in the photos, there are still visible seams where the limbs were joined to the body, so I am assuming they are not high enough quality to be 19th c. However, since I have no information on Chinese fountains, I really have no basis to determine the true age or quality.

What I can say is they are significantly heavier than modern fountains of similar height.

If I read correctly, a company in China is offering a 4 foot long dragon fountain that weighs 75lbs.

Each of my fountains weighs about 200lbs.

Anyway, they really cool and eventually I hope to come across some additional info.

Thanks again.
Tim

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