A Personal Collection of Chinese Bronzes

30th October 2025

Ian Finer acquired his first Chinese bronze in 1980 from Bert Bang in London. From then on, he dedicated himself to studying the field through the available literature and cultivating a connoisseur’s eye. A Chartered Accountant by profession, Ian Finer advised numerous clients in the antiques trade, particularly in Asian art, giving him privileged access to exceptional pieces and trusted sources. Over the years, his collection grew, carefully sourced from London auction houses, specialist dealers, and later, across Europe, particularly in France and Germany.

Art historian and former Keeper of the Far Eastern Department at the Victoria & Albert Museum, Rose Kerr, comments that The Finer Collection of bronzes, dating to the Song-Qing dynasties, is being introduced to the market at an interesting and significant time; in the wake of a recent ground breaking exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum in New York (February – September 2025) Recasting the Past: The Art of Chinese Bronzes, 1100–1900. Rose Kerr outlines some of the highlights within this personal and scholarly collection of 100 bronzes:

• A Yuan dynasty vase (Lot 4) cast in two parts, with animal head handles and a bold central design of entwined dragons resembles an item in the Metropolitan Museum, that copies a Western Zhou dynasty wine vessel illustrated in a classic text published c.1120 CE.
• At the heart of the collection are bronzes that bear the signature of Hu Wenming, celebrated in his lifetime for masterful designs and exquisite craftsmanship. Most are scholar’s objects that often feature gilded decoration in high relief against a dark background dense with geometric patterns.
• Popular in the Ming Dynasty, large heavy arrow vases with loop handles on their necks were employed to play a traditional game called pitch-pot, in which players threw arrows or sticks into the vessel from a distance. (Lots 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 & 20)
• Incense burners in the form of ducks or geese (Lots 74, 75, 76) were among the most popular archaistic designs from the Song dynasty onward. Known as ‘incense ducks’ or ‘metal ducks’ they were often cited in literary works that evoked elegant interiors.
• Hand warmers (also known as sleeve vases) were known from the seventeenth century but became increasingly popular in the following centuries. The vessels contained glowing charcoal embedded in ashes, to which incense could be added, wafting fragrance into the atmosphere and onto one’s garments.

The Finer Collection (lots 1-100) will be sold at auction from 10am on Tuesday 11^th November on the first day of the Asian Art sale series, running from 11^th-13^th November 2025.