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Lot 97
A Pair of Chinese Gold 'Lady Mao' Immortal Earring Pendants, Erzhui, Ming Dynasty
明 金毛女耳墜一對
明 金毛女耳墜一對
Sale 2046 - Asian Works of Art
Mar 21, 2025
10:00AM ET
Live / New York
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Estimate
$9,000 -
10,000
Price Realized
$9,600
Sold prices are inclusive of Buyer’s Premium
Lot Description
A Pair of Chinese Gold 'Lady Mao' Immortal Earring Pendants, Erzhui, Ming Dynasty
明 金毛女耳墜一對
明 金毛女耳墜一對
Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)
Each depicts the female immortal, Maonv, standing atop a large lotus blossom, dressed in robes decorated with multiple layers of lotus petals, both hands clutching the straps, securing the basket on her back bearing a lingzhi, the face inscribed with details and bearing a subtle smile, crowned by a large lotus blossom with a hop-form finial for suspension.
Note:
For a close pair and discussion on 'maonv' decoration, see YANG, Zhishui. Zhongguo Gudai Jinyin Shoushi. Beijing: Palace Museum Press, 2014, p. 622-623.
For a similar pair, see LI, Ya, Erpan Liuguang, Zhongguo Lidai Erhuan. Beijing: Zhongguo Fangzhipin Chubanshe, 2015, p. 170, chart 9-11, no.2.
毛女是中國神話中從秦始皇宮中逃出來、遁入山林、得仙人指點而成仙的女子,典出西漢劉向《列仙傳》:”毛女者,字玉姜,在華陰山中,獵師世世見之。形體生毛,自言秦始皇宮人也,秦壞,流亡入山避難,遇道士谷春,教食松葉,遂不飢寒,身輕如飛,百七十余年。所居巖中有鼓琴聲雲。婉孌玉姜,與時遁逸。真人授方,餐松秀實。因敗獲成,延命深吉。得意巖岫,寄歡琴瑟。“华山主峰西北毛女峰上有毛女洞,相傳就是毛女的避難之所。
頭挽髻,頸戴圈,草葉披、草葉裙,藥鋤、藥簍,是毛女形象的標配。汪砢玉《珊瑚网》收錄《唐人作毛女图》,繪“毛女一双,丰姿端丽,错著彩缯树皮,背绊筠蓝,插花枝,纷披如幕,咸握一偃月钩。其亭亭玉立者,丰趺著草兜;其皎皎傲雪者,系袜至胫,穿芒鞋。”上有谢翺题诗:“结草为衣类鹤翎,初来一味服黄精。”
同類繪畫參見山西应县佛宫寺释迦塔出土辽代《采芝图》,李公麟的《毛女图》,大英博物館收藏的江戶時代《毛女圖》,以及中國嘉德2021年9月28日嘉德四季“古音流凨——中国古代书画”專場2052號沈韶《松溪采药图》。
毛女作爲首飾題材僅見於明代,婦女視毛女为生育保婴之女神。江蘇省南京市太平門外板倉徐達家族墓出有一對金鑲寳毛女耳墜,與本品如出一轍,現藏南京博物院,收錄于揚之水著《中國古代金銀首飾》,2014年故宮出版社,第622-623頁,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170頁,表9-11。又如湖北省蕲春博物馆所藏明代金镶宝毛女簪;以及四川省文物考古研究院藏明金麒麟毛女云海纹簪,係王玺家族墓M8王文渊夫人墓出土 。
類似拍品参见中国嘉德2017年6月20日“见微知著——金银珍玩”專場6049號。
Height 2 in., 5.1 cm.
Property from the RenLu Collection, Los Angeles, California.
This lot is located in New York.