A BRONZE 'IMMORTAL AND BLACK TORTOISE' WEIGHT, MING DYNASTY China, 16^th-17^th century. Cast in openwork, depicting an immortal leaning on a long-tailed Black Tortoise gazing up toward the sky, both standing on a rocky base, the immortal dressed in a robe with long sleeves, holding a scroll in his left, both heads raised and turned to their left.

Provenance: Gerard Hawthorn Ltd. Oriental Art, London, 4 October 2005. A notable private collector in Kensington, London, United Kingdom, acquired from the above. A copy of the original signed invoice from Gerard Hawthorn, dated 4 October 2005, listing the present lot as a “Chinese bronze weight, Ming dynasty, 16^th/17^th century”, and stating a purchase price of GBP 2,500 or approx. EUR 4,500 (converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing), accompanies this lot.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, traces of use and casting flaws, few tiny nicks and losses. Good natural patina overall.

Weight: 266.9 g
Dimensions: Length 15.1 cm

The tortoise is one of the 'Four Fabulous Animals' - the most prominent beasts of China. These animals govern the four points of the compass, with the Black Tortoise being the ruler of the north, symbolizing endurance, strength, and longevity. The tortoise is sometimes depicted with supernatural features such as dragon ears, flaming tentacles at its shoulders and hips, and a long hairy tail representing seaweed and the growth of plant parasites found on older tortoise shells that flow behind the tortoise as it swims. In Daoist art, the tortoise is an emblem of the triad of earth-humankind-heaven. Depictions of immortals with tortoises are very popular in China and go back to at least the Han dynasty.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 7 April 2015, lot 3694
Price: HKD 137,500 or approx. EUR 20,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A parcel-gilt bronze brushrest, Ming dynasty

13% VAT will be added to the hammer price additional to the buyer's premium - only for buyers within the EU.

明代仙人神龜銅鎮
中國，十六至十七世紀。銅鑄一位仙人倚在烏龜上，雙雙立於岩石上，昂首仰天。仙人身著長袍，左手持捲軸。

來源：倫敦Gerard Hawthorn Ltd.東方藝術藝廊，2005年10月4日；倫敦肯辛頓知名私人收藏，購於上述藝廊。隨附藝廊原始發票複印件，日期為2005年10月4日，描述為 “Chinese bronze weight，Ming dynasty，16th/17th century”（明代，十六至十七世紀，中國銅鎮），價格為 GBP 2,500，相當於現在的EUR 4,500 。
品相：狀況極好，有輕微磨損、使用痕跡和鑄造缺陷，少量微小的劃痕和缺損。 整體良好的自然包漿。

重量：266.9 克
尺寸：長15.1 厘米

在中國，龜為“四靈”之一，是北方的統治者，象徵著耐心、力量和長壽。在道教藝術中，龜是地、人、天三位一體的象徵。 神仙與神龜在中國非常流行，至少可以追溯到漢代。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：相近
拍賣：香港蘇富比，2015年4月7日，lot 3694
價格：HKD 137,500（相當於今日EUR 20,000）
描述：明代局部鎏金銅牧牛圖筆擱