A rare Chinese gilt bronze funerary mask, Liao Dynasty (907-1125), this significant ritual and funerary object depicts the serene face of a male who was part of the elite Khitan tribe, a people who ruled north China over a thousand years ago, during the Liao dynasty, 24cm long x 23.5cm wide, on an acrylic stand and with Oxford laboratory report Provenance: Private collection purchased in London 29th August, 2003. Placing a metal mask on the face of the deceased was a unique tradition of the nomadic Khitan; they buried their high-ranking men and women with various amounts of metal body attire such as a mask like this one for the face and a suit “woven” from wire for the body. The masks were highly personalized and fashioned in a variety of shapes and sizes, the type of metal depending on the class of the wearer. The simplest were made of thinly hammered bronze, in rare cases, silver, gilt bronze and high karat gold were reserved for the elite. See similar examples in the Musée Guimet, Paris, reference no. MA 2352; and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2012-53-1.辽 铜鎏金面具（附牛津热释光报告） 拍品来源：土耳其私人收藏