Oliver White
Head of Department
Lot 41
A rare Khorasan bronze Figurine of a Cockerel Persia, 12th Century(2)
8 April 2014, 10:30 BST
London, New Bond Street£40,000 - £60,000
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A rare Khorasan bronze Figurine of a Cockerel
Persia, 12th Century
Persia, 12th Century
standing firmly on two pad-shaped feet with closed wings, the openwork chest decorated with interlaced palmettes, the wings and tail embellished with engraved plumage, the head with almond shaped eyes, hooked beak and a five-lobed plume, mounted
23 cm. high(2)
23 cm. high(2)
Footnotes
This bronze figurine of a cockerel was possibly an incense burner or a pomander. The bird depicted resembles a stylized cockerel, with its short wings, plume and resplendent tail. Whilst zoomorphic figures were a prevalent feature of 12th Century Persian metalwork, the present work is rare in its depiction of a cockerel as most examples from the period depict predators such as lions, lynxes and eagles.
One of the few known examples of a cockerel figurine from the same period is in the Hermitage Museum, (Vladimir Loukonine et al., Lost Treasures of Persia: Persian Art in the Hermitage Museum, London, 2003, pl.87), and whilst the two are similar in shape and stature, the present lot is arguably more sophisticated in composition with its openwork breast, lobed plume and incised tail deliberately weighted to support the figure and lend it more stability.