A Chinese gilt bronze hu-fu dating from the Six Dynasties period. It comes with a wooden stand. This archaic style, tiger-shaped military tally has a 10-character inscription along the top. Dimensions are: the hu-fu measures 1 1/2 inches tall X 4 1/2 inches long X 1 1/2 inches wide, 3.8 cm X 11.4 cm X 3.8 cm. The stand measures 1/2 inches tall X 5 inches long X 2 1/2 inches wide, 1.3 cm X 12.7 cm X 6.4 cm. Weight: 436 grams. All measurements are approximate. Condition: There is age appropriate wear including areas of loss and wear to the gilt. A reminder that all lots are sold as-is. We have sought to record the changes in the condition of this piece after its initial manufacture as diligently as possible; however, as stated in our terms, condition reports are statements of opinion and not representations or warranties. Oakridge Auction Gallery bears no responsibility for any error or omission. Provenance: The hu-fu and the stand both come with museum accession numbers. From an estate in North Carolina. Notes: How does a king give orders to a large army, and how does a large army keep track of orders from their king? In ancient China, the solution was tiger tallies. Tiger tallies first appeared in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. At this time, it was believed that the tiger was invincible in battle, and the beast became a symbol of military power, lending its form to these military tallies. Most of them were made of bronze, but examples can also be found in gold, jade, and bamboo. A single tally was composed of two mirrored halves that fit together with interlocking teeth: the right half was to be kept by the king, and the left half was kept by generals or local governors. When the king wanted to mobilize a unit, he would send his half of the tally to the appropriate general. If the two halves of the tally fit together into a seamless whole, the governor knew that the order being given was legitimate, as only the king would have their tally's other half.This tiger tally's legs are bent forward in a crouching stance, poised to spring in an attack. Its neck and shoulders are broad, alluding to its strength and muscularity. The tail is upturned, decorated with exquisitely crafted swirl patterns. The tiger's back is engraved with the inscription "With the Governor of Guiyang, the first tiger tally". The three teeth of the tally fit together perfectly, a rare find, as very few complete tallies in the world have survived. Even more rare is that this tally is completely gilt, as metal tallies usually were made of bronze alone. Despite the vicissitudes of the past several millennia, the whole body is barely damaged and the gilt is still intact, which shows that this symbol is extremely prized and has been properly preserved by its caretakers. It is an excellent piece for the historically minded collector.在我國古代，為了保證君主在傳達命令或者調動軍隊時不出差錯，需要借助一種信物作為憑證，這種信物便稱「兵符」。據說它最早是周朝軍 事家姜子牙發明的。古人認為虎為百獸之王，在叢林爭鬥中總是處於不敗之地，因此在軍事上也多以虎為尊，於是常將這種兵符鑄刻成虎的形狀，因此它也被稱之為虎符。虎符最早出現於春秋戰國時期，大多用的是青銅，也有用金、玉和竹做材料的。虎符內部中空，然後被一剖為二，右半由中央保存，左半則發給統兵將領或地方長官。虎符的剖面有齒相嵌合，背上大多有文字，文字分書在兩邊。此虎四足向前彎曲呈臥伏狀，縮頸前視，頭呈方形，「臣」字圓眼，雙耳葉形卷狀，四肢關節處及尾部也飾以渦紋，線條硬朗有勁，尾巴向上翹起，尾部頂端也雕飾了渦紋，左右對稱，工藝考究。虎背刻銘文「與桂陽太守，為虎符第一」，其中間三處子母扣相貼合，並且其全身鎏金，相比一般銅虎符工藝更加覆雜，珍貴程度更甚之於同類符，留存於世的更是少之又少，整體包漿完美，經過歷代滄桑變化，周身鮮有破損，說明此符珍貴無比，一直被藏家妥善保存，實屬難得，是廣大藏家愛好者的首選。 A similar example is currently housed in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London under accession number M.76-1912. A similar example was sold by China Guardian Auctions in their November 21, 2010 sale as lot 2244. High resolution photos can be found here.參閱英國維多利亞阿爾伯特博物館館藏，編號M.76-1912。另見參閱中國嘉德拍賣2010年11月，編號2244，六朝銅虎符。