Set of belt ornaments (incomplete?)

Object Details

• Description

  The six ornaments include four rectangular plaques, one buckle with an attached rectangular plaque, and a larger, hinged ornament with a more complex curving shape. All the ornaments are multipart constructions with gilt surfaces and copper or copper alloy substrates. Each rectangular plaque bears a motif of a single animal with surrounding abstract floral forms. Also, each plaque is similar in construction and consists of three basic parts held together by small pins (or rivets); the parts are a plain raised border, the central plate bearing repousse decoration, and a flat, plain, gilt back plate. The buckle and large ornament have the basic construction, though they are somewhat more complicated and have additional parts.

  It was of particular interest to find evidence of textile on one ornament between the back plate and the underside of the repousse panel. LRN 3337

• Provenance

  To 1980

  Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Bernat, Massachusetts. [1]

  1980

  Sale, New York, Sotheby’s, Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, The Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Bernat, November 7, 1980, lot 5. [2]

  Until 1990's (?)

  British Rail Pension Fund, Works of Art Collection, London [3]

  1997

  Sale, New York, Sotheby’s, Fine Chinese Ceramics, Furniture and Works of Art, September 23, 1997, Sale #7018, lot 120: “Rare six-piece set of gilt copper belt ornaments.” [4]

  From 1997

  Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, purchased at Sale, Sotheby’s, New York, Fine Chinese Ceramics, Furniture and Works of Art, September 23, 1997, through Andrew Kahane, Ltd., New York, New York. [5]

  Notes:

  [1] See object file, Collections Management Office.

  [2] The object was sold in 1980 at Sotheby’s, New York auction to an unknown buyer. See Memorandum dated Sept. 22, 1997, copy in object file, Collections Management Office.

  [3] See Sotheby's, London, Important Early Chinese Cermics, Archaic Bronzes, Sculpture, Silver and Lacquer from the Works of Art Collection of the British Rail Pension Fund, December 12, 1989, Lot 33 [DNS]

  [4] See object file, Collections Management Office.

  [5] See note 3. See also Memorandum dated Sept. 22, 1997, copy in object file, Collections Management Office.

• Collection

  National Museum of Asian Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  The Arts of China (November 18, 1990 to September 7, 2014)

  Arts of the T'ang (January 8 to February 17, 1957)

  Untitled Exhibition, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, 1957 (1957)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Bernat

  Sotheby's (New York)

  British Rail Pension Fund, Works of Art Collection (active 1974-1999)

  Andrew Kahane, Ltd. (established 1986)

• Origin

  China

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Smithsonian Unrestricted Trust Funds

• Type

  Jewelry and Ornament

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  600s, 500s

• Name

  Sotheby's (New York), Andrew Kahane, Ltd., British Rail Pension Fund, Works of Art Collection, Bernat, Eugene

• Place

  China

• Topic

  Gilding, Bronze, Sui dynasty (581 - 618), Art, Sculpture, Chinese Art, Tang dynasty (618 - 907), Flowers, Metal-work

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Ornaments, Jewelry