NO. 1915  PAIR OF BRONZE OPENWORK MARKS

Pair of bronze openwork animal masks of square form cast with a high relief. Each mask has heavy-lidded, staring eyes and a pointed beak or nose, above the upper mouth, with a row of even teeth and sharp canines at the corners. A five-leaf palmette crest, flanked by foliate motifs, rises from the forehead and curling tufts or plumes form borders on either side of the mask and enclose the sharp elongate ears. The reverse is undecorated. There are four apertures with pins for attachment.
Late 5th century
Height of each masks: 11.6cm
Width of each masks: 12.6cm
Similar example: no.9 Six dynasty art form the Norman A Kurland collection, part one, Eskenazi, 3 Nov 2017
北魏铜透雕铺首一对