A PAIR OF GILT BRONZE ‘MYTHICAL BEAST’ WEIGHTS, EASTERN ZHOU TO WESTERN HAN China, 770 BC to 8 AD. Each finely cast as a mythical beast with muscular limbs, distinctly ribbed chest, funnel-shaped ears, prominent snout, and neatly incised mane and beard, one with an elegantly curved horn, the other with the mouth agape. (2)

Provenance: Belgian market, by repute acquired from a local estate.
Condition: Excellent condition, commensurate with age. Wear, casting flaws, rubbing to gilt, small nicks and dents, light scratches. Superb naturally grown patina, with a distinctive unctuous feel overall, resulting from centuries of extensive handling.

Weight: 233 g and 229 g
Dimensions: Height 4.7 cm, Length 5.8 cm (each)

Weights crafted from precious materials such as bronze and jade, and often gilded or inlaid with gold, silver, or gemstones, represent the pinnacle of craftsmanship during the Eastern Zhou and Western Han dynasties. Conceived as functional objects to hold down domestic furnishings, weights were produced in sets and were also interred for use in the afterlife.

Literature comparison: Compare a gilt bronze weight in the form of three chilong, also dated Eastern Zhou to Western Han, in the collection of the Brooklyn Museum, accession number 1991.127.10. Compare a gilt bronze weight in the form of a ram, dated to the Han dynasty, in the collection of the Brooklyn Museum, accession number 1991.127.9. Compare a weight in the shape of a bixie, dated to the Han dynasty, in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 2019.217.

東周至西漢一對銅鎏金神獸鎮紙
中國，西元前770 至西元8 年。神獸屈足伏臥式，軀體豐滿壯碩，肌理分明。背脊略有起伏，耳朵呈漏斗狀，鼻子突出，鬃毛和鬍鬚整齊，角倒鉤拊於後顱。另一隻張著嘴。鎏金燦然，包漿古雅溫潤。

來源：比利時古玩市場，據說來自於當地家族收藏。
品相: 品相極佳，與年代相稱。磨損、製造瑕疵、鎏金部分有磨擦痕跡，一些小刻痕、小凹痕，以及輕微的劃痕。

重量：233克和229克
尺寸：高4.7厘米，寬各5.8厘米