18th Jan, 2023 11:00
Asian Art Discoveries
63
AN INSCRIBED SHANG DYNASTY ‘ORACLE BONE’ TURTLE PLASTRON, JIAGUWEN
Sold for €7,150
including Buyer's Premium
China, Shang Dynasty (1600 BC – 1046 BC). The lower shell of a tortoise showing engraved inscriptions arranged in orderly rows. The characters belong to the earliest systematic Chinese written language (pictograph script) that still survives. These characters were created over three thousand years ago!
Condition: Excellent condition commensurate with age.
Provenance: Estate of Paolo Bertuzzi. Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022) was an engineer and fashion stylist from Bologna, Italy. Born as the son of Enrichetta Bertuzzi, the founder of Hettabretz, one of the most important leather merchants in Italy which crafted womenswear for royals and celebrities including The Rothschild family, Audrey Hepburn, and Elizabeth Taylor. Paolo Bertuzzi later took over his mother’s business and created exclusive pieces, some of which were exhibited in the Costume Institute at Metropolitan Museum of New York. He was also an avid collector of antiques for more than 60 years. His collection includes archaic and contemporary art, focusing mainly on Asian ancient pieces. Over decades he developed close relations with galleries, museums, curators, and auction houses while shaping his collection. He edited two books on Asian art, Goa Made. An Archaeological Discovery, about large-scale archaeological project carried out together with the Italian and Indonesian governments, and Majapahit, Masterpieces from a Forgotten Kingdom.
Weight: 39.89
Dimensions: Length 14 cm. Width 9.5 cm
The term “oracle bone” refers to ox scapulae (or shoulder blade bones) and turtle plastrons used by Shang rulers for divination. The bones of oxen and turtle plastrons were typically prepared in advance (polished and carved). When the ruler asked a question, a shaman would perform a ritual in which he would heat the carved depressions to produce hairline cracks on the opposite side of the bone. He would then interpret the pattern of the cracks to provide an answer to the question. Often the questions and answers were recorded on the surface of the oracle bone.
Literature comparison: A closely related oracle bone is in the Museum of the Institute of History and Philology, Taipei, Item No. R044284.
China, Shang Dynasty (1600 BC – 1046 BC). The lower shell of a tortoise showing engraved inscriptions arranged in orderly rows. The characters belong to the earliest systematic Chinese written language (pictograph script) that still survives. These characters were created over three thousand years ago!
Condition: Excellent condition commensurate with age.
Provenance: Estate of Paolo Bertuzzi. Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022) was an engineer and fashion stylist from Bologna, Italy. Born as the son of Enrichetta Bertuzzi, the founder of Hettabretz, one of the most important leather merchants in Italy which crafted womenswear for royals and celebrities including The Rothschild family, Audrey Hepburn, and Elizabeth Taylor. Paolo Bertuzzi later took over his mother’s business and created exclusive pieces, some of which were exhibited in the Costume Institute at Metropolitan Museum of New York. He was also an avid collector of antiques for more than 60 years. His collection includes archaic and contemporary art, focusing mainly on Asian ancient pieces. Over decades he developed close relations with galleries, museums, curators, and auction houses while shaping his collection. He edited two books on Asian art, Goa Made. An Archaeological Discovery, about large-scale archaeological project carried out together with the Italian and Indonesian governments, and Majapahit, Masterpieces from a Forgotten Kingdom.
Weight: 39.89
Dimensions: Length 14 cm. Width 9.5 cm
The term “oracle bone” refers to ox scapulae (or shoulder blade bones) and turtle plastrons used by Shang rulers for divination. The bones of oxen and turtle plastrons were typically prepared in advance (polished and carved). When the ruler asked a question, a shaman would perform a ritual in which he would heat the carved depressions to produce hairline cracks on the opposite side of the bone. He would then interpret the pattern of the cracks to provide an answer to the question. Often the questions and answers were recorded on the surface of the oracle bone.
Literature comparison: A closely related oracle bone is in the Museum of the Institute of History and Philology, Taipei, Item No. R044284.
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