A SILVER WIRE-INLAID BRONZE FIGURE OF A QILIN, ATTRIBUTED TO SHISOU, QING DYNASTY China, 1644-1912. Finely cast seated on its haunches, the front legs braced, the head with sharply cast, elegantly curved antlers, large ears, bulging eyes, a ruyi-shaped nose, the mouth open revealing teeth, sharp fangs, and tongue. The furcated tail curling to one side, the spine neatly articulated.

Provenance: From a private collection in northern Germany, acquired before 2000.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and casting flaws, few losses to inlays, occasional light scratches, few minuscule nicks. Fine, naturally grown, dark patina.

Weight: 2,439 g (incl. base)
Dimensions: Height 18 cm (excl. base) and 19 cm (incl. base)

The bronze is finely inlaid with silver wire to depict the wavy fur, spirals to the spine and head, and a scroll design to the collar. The beast wears a collar around its neck attached with two small double-gourds and a drop-shaped ornament as well as a loop to the back.

Mounted to a modern base.

Little is known about the historical figure Shisou. The earliest reference in the Zhongguo meishujia renming cidian ('Dictionary of Chinese Artists') comes from the Luochuang xiaodu and is presumably from the same source as published in Zhongguo yishujia zhenglue ('Brief Introduction of Chinese Artists’). Shisou is listed there only as a late Ming dynasty monk without any further biographical information. A number of vessels and sculptures from the seventeenth to the nineteenth century bear his name, sometimes in combination with a hall name, Jinyu tang (‘Hall of Prosperity’). Although the present piece is unsigned, the high quality of the casting and intricate silver-wire inlays make an attribution to Shisou or a related workshop more than reasonable.

Auction result comparison: Compare a related bronze lion-form censer, with similar silver-inlaid wavy fur and spirals to the spine, also dated to the Qing dynasty (50.2 cm high), at Christie’s Hong Kong in Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art on 30 November 2016, lot 3246, sold for HKD 300,000.

清代石叟款銅錯銀麒麟擺件
中國，1644-1912年。銅麒麟作昂首挺立的姿勢，身形修長，儀態優雅，微展雙角立於頭之上，以陰線雕刻眼眶，突出一對圓鼓的雙目，嘴微微張開，面部用陰線簡單勾勒表現五官，頸部略靠後，胸脯前突。

來源：德國北部私人收藏，購於2000年之前。
品相：狀況極好，有輕微磨損和鑄造瑕疵，少量鑲嵌缺損，局部有輕微劃痕，少量微小刻痕。包漿細膩且自然生長。

重量：總2,439 克
尺寸：高18 釐米 (不含底座)，總 19 釐米

現代底座。

拍賣結果比較：比較相近的清代銅獅香爐，毛與脊椎部位有著相近的錯銀紋理，高50.2釐米，見香港佳士得Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art 2016年11月30日 lot 3246, 售價HKD 300,000。