China, late Zhou Dynasty / Warring States period to early Han Dynasty, ca. 400 to 200 BCE. A bronze chariot fitting, cast from a single large piece of bronze aside from its tongue, which has been cast onto the larger design. It is in the form of a fanged animal with bulging eyes, small ears, and a long tongue - probably some kind of feline or possibly a chimera. A hollow cylindrical form is on the back so that it could be attached to a chariot. These fierce transport devices were used to attack and pursue soldiers in ancient China from 1200 BCE to the end of the Warring States period; by the Han Dynasty, they had been superseded in battle by cavalry, and were still seen as prestige items that could be placed into tombs. This may have been an axle cap, perhaps on the chariot of a military commander who used it as a mobile platform to maneuver about the battlefield giving orders. It also could have been used to transport archers or soldiers with small arms like dagger axes. The animal's fierce face would have been a powerful symbol of fighting prowess. Comes with custom stand. Size: 3" L x 2.8" W x 3" H (7.6 cm x 7.1 cm x 7.6 cm)

Provenance: Ex-Private Orange County, CA collection

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#118308

Loss to one side of lower lip; small cracks to the edges of the fitting.