1 / 6
Click To Zoom

Condition Report

Contact Information

Auction Specialist

Lot 87

A Pair of Chinese Turquoise and Gold Filigree 'Eggplant' Earrings, Erhuan, Yuan Dynasty
元 金累絲鑲綠松石天茄式耳環一對
Sale 2046 - Asian Works of Art
Mar 21, 2025 10:00AM ET
Live / New York
Own a similar item?
Estimate
$4,000 - 6,000
Price Realized
$5,440
Sold prices are inclusive of Buyer’s Premium

Lot Description

A Pair of Chinese Turquoise and Gold Filigree 'Eggplant' Earrings, Erhuan, Yuan Dynasty
元 金累絲鑲綠松石天茄式耳環一對
Yuan Dynasty (1206-1388)

Each with an eggplant-shaped bead set behind gold mountings in the form of two symmetric filigree foliate scrolls joined by a flower head inset with a gemstone, enclosed by further scrolls and topped with a ruyi head, all framed within a beaded border; a long curve hook attached to the reverse for threading through the earlobe.
Note:
For three similar examples, see YANG, Boda. Zhongguo Jinyin Boli Falangqi Quanji,volume 3. Shijiazhuang: Hebei Fine Art Press, 2004, p 51.

For a similar pair, see LIN, Yeqiang. Celestial Creations, Art of the Chinese Goldsmith, The Cheng Xun Tang Collection I. Hongkong: The Chinese University of Hongkong, 2007, p. 298-299, F16.

For another similar example, see
Li, Ya. Er Pan Liu Guang, Zhongguo Lidai Erhuan, Zhongguo Fangzhipin Chubanshe, Beijing, 2015, p. 139, no.5; and SUN, JI, and GUAN, Shanming. Chinese Gold Ornaments. Hongkong: Mu wen tang, 2003, p 430-431, 434-435.

For an example with similar gold filigree decoration, see YANG, Zhishui. Shehua Zhise, Song Yuan Ming Jinyinqi Yanjiu,volume 1. Beijing: Zhonghua Shuju, 2014, p 132, fig1-40:3.

《元顺宗后像》、《元武宗后像》、《元英宗后像》等若干元代后妃像的耳畔,都戴有一种金环脚、绿松石盖叶、下连白色梨形珠的耳饰。這种耳饰常出现在戴姑姑冠的后妃耳畔,造型酷似植物种实。《碎金·服饰篇》與《析津志》謂之的“天生茄儿”,简称天茄。天茄究竟是何物,沒有统一说法:有人认为是茄科植物龙葵,也有人认为是《本草图经》中提到的白茄,《本草纲目》中则认为是牵牛子的别称,“牵牛有黑、白两种……白者人多种之。……其核白色,稍粗。人亦采嫩实蜜煎为果食,呼为天茄,因其蒂似茄也。”不论是哪种植物,耳饰因类其形,以“天茄”名之。

元代墓葬出土了許多這種造型的金镶或银镶宝石耳饰,宝石通常上小下大,形状不规,其上用金银做成下覆的花叶,再以一根金针或银针贯穿上下,仿佛一枚头顶枝叶的小茄子。

此類耳飾以金镶绿松石为主,元人称松石為“碧钿子”或“甸子”,出湖北者,名“襄阳甸子”。參見内蒙古四子王旗卜子古城出土的金镶绿松石耳墜,松石珠上焊一金花,金花间嵌有宝石,與本品几無二緻。此外,内蒙古乌兰察布盟察右前旗元墓、甘肃省漳县徐家坪元代汪世显家族墓、湖南省临澧市新合元代窖藏、河北省石家庄市元代史天泽家族墓均出土过类似耳环,想必在当时是非常流行的款式。蓋元代金镶宝石首饰雖多,托座与宝石的扣合卻不紧密,極易脱落。天茄耳饰利用宝石的天然形状稍加琢磨,以穿系的方法固定,样式自然,由此成为时样,通行于大疆南北。

類似元代鑲松石耳環,參見楊伯達主編《中國金銀玻璃琺瑯彩全集》第三卷,河北美術出版社2004年出版,第51頁;香港承訓堂藏品,收錄于林業強主編《寶蘊迎祥:承訓堂藏金》,2007年香港中文大學中國文化研究所文物館,第298-299頁, F16;香港沐文堂藏品,收錄于孫機、關善明合著《中國古代金飾》,2003年香港沐文堂出版,第430-431,434-435頁;以及李芽著《耳畔流光:中國歷代耳飾》,中國紡織出版社2015年出版,第139頁,編號5。

類似金累絲工藝耳環,見武漢黃陂縣周家田元墓出土金累絲蓮塘小景紋耳環,收錄于揚之水《奢華之色——宋元明金銀器研究卷一》,中華書局2010年出版,第132頁,圖1-40:3。

Height 1 7/8 in., 4.8 cm.

Property from the RenLu Collection, Los Angeles, California.

This lot is located in New York.

Provenance

Condition Report

Contact Information

Auction Specialist

Search