A RARE CHINESE PARCEL-GILT COPPER ALLOY 'BOYS' HAND WARMER AND COVER

A RARE CHINESE PARCEL-GILT COPPER ALLOY 'BOYS' HAND WARMER AND COVER
HU WENMING MARK, 16TH/17TH CENTURY

Of rounded rectangular form, the exterior decorated with boys playing amongst pine trees, lingzhi and rockwork reserved against a diaper ground, set with two swing handles fixed with ruyi-head terminals, the cover with a central panel depicting furthers boys playing around a fenced lotus pond, surrounded by a lingzhi and prunus border, the recessed base incised with a four-character mark within a square reading Hu Wenming zhi, with a paper label for the Finer Collection 'HW 36', 716g, 15.5cm. (2)

Provenance: purchased from Adalbert Bang Oriental Art, Paris.

十六/十七世紀 胡文明款銅嬰戲圖帶環手爐
《胡文明製》

Cf. Paul Moss, Emperor, Scholar, Artisan, Monk, no.125 for a related Hu Wenming 'boys' hand warmer with a double swing handle. See also Christie's Hong Kong, 1 December 2009, lot 1967 for another related hand warmer depicting boys at play by Hu Wenming. More recently a jardinière by Hu Wenming depicting a similar scene of boys at play within a garden landscape was also sold at Christie's New York, 20th September 2013, lot 1542. For a detailed discussion of Hu Wenming's work see Gerard Tsang and Hugh Moss, 'Chinese Metalwork of the Hu Wenming Group', Handbook, International Asian Antiques Fair, Hong Kong.

From the Finer Collection of later bronzes and hand warmers.