A RARE BRONZE HORN FILE, HAN DYNASTY China, 202 BC to 220 AD. The rectangular lower section cast in openwork on one side as a tiger and dragon amid swirling vapor, while the reverse is covered with a dense pattern of tiny spikes. The handle with a square panel enclosing a phoenix below an S-shaped dragon. Provenance: From a French private collection. Condition: Very good condition with old wear, some casting flaws, few small nicks, and occasional light scratches. Fine, naturally grown, dark patina with malachite encrustation. Weight: 252.9 g Dimensions: Height 21 cm Expert's note: The exact purpose of pieces from this type is still not known for sure, and they have been variously described as a coin, charm, or file in the past. A number of these have been published: By d'Argence, The Hans Popper Collection of Oriental Art, Japan, 1973, no. 25 and by Paul Singer, Some Puzzle Pieces, Oriental Art, Volume XVIII, No. 2, Summer 1972, pages 155-62. Singer illustrates several, including one from his own collection, page 159, figures 7-8, which is very similar to the present lot, and another on page 158, figure J, which had been found inside a beast-form vessel excavated in Shanxi province, figure 10, suggesting that these may have been files used to grind horns for medicinal purposes. Auction result comparison: Compare a closely related bronze openwork tool, also dated to the Han dynasty, at Christie's New York in Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art on 15 September 2011, lot 1149, sold for USD 2,750. 漢代罕見青銅透雕銼 中國, 公元前202至公元220年。長方形開光内鏤空透雕虎龍斗紋，而背面則覆蓋著密密麻麻的小尖刺。帶有方形面板的手柄，方為盤曲的龍及其下方著一隻鳳凰。 來源：法國私人收藏 品相：狀況極好，有磨損，一些鑄造缺陷，少量小刻痕，局部有輕微劃痕。 自然包漿。孔雀石綠色結殼。 重量：252.9 克 尺寸：高 21 厘米 專家注釋：這種類型的透雕物件確切用途還不清楚，過去它們被描述為硬幣、符咒或銼。其中一些已出版： d'Argence，The Hans Popper Collection of Oriental Art，日本，1973 年，圖 25 ； Paul Singer，Some Puzzle Pieces, Oriental Art,第十八卷，第 2 期，1972 年夏季，第 155-62 頁。 Singer展示了幾個藏品，包括他自己收藏的一個，第 159 頁，圖 7-8，與當前拍品非常相似，另一個在第 158 頁，圖 J，這是在山西出土的犀牛狀的容器內發現的，圖 10，表明這些銼具可能是用於研磨犀牛角以及藥用器具。 拍賣結果比較：比較一件青銅透雕器具，同樣為漢代，見紐約佳士得Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art 2011年9月15日lot 1149, 售價USD 2,750。