LIAO DYNASTY

Details

A copper-gilt openwork crown
Liao dynasty
With four overlapping shaped lappets surrounding a central head-piece surmounted by a large finial of a flaming pearl, each lappet pierced with an openwork scale-pattern, the main front lappet centred by a flaming Taiji (yin and yang) motif between two phoenix, a single phoenix on the reverse, the short ends with each two incised floral roundels, all within shaped borders incised with scrollwork, with areas malachite green patina, some old damage
20.7 cm. high, 20 cm. wide

Provenance

Purchased by the present owner from a private collection in 1992.

Special notice

Christie's charge a premium to the buyer on the final bid price of each lot sold at the following rates: 23.8% of the final bid price of each lot sold up to and including €150,000 and 14.28% of any amount in excess of €150,000. Buyers' premium is calculated on the basis of each lot individually.

Sale room notice

Please note that the crown is copper-gilt and not silver-gilt as stated in the printed catalogue.

Lot Essay

Similar openwork multi-panel gilt-metal crowns have been found in Inner Mongolia in Qidan graves of the nobility. Three such examples are illustrated in Jenny F. Lo, Noble Riders from Pines and Deserts, The artistic Legacy of the Qidan, Hong Kong, nrs. I:5-I:7, pp. 70-75.
The author points out that during the Liao dynasty, many people seem to have subscribed to both the Taoist and Buddhist religion. This may also have been in the case of the wearer of this crown as it combines the buddhist motif of the flaming pearl and daoist 'Taiji' motif of yin and yang.

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