青铜扁足虎耳鼎
此件青铜扁足虎耳鼎，器型为圆腹，扁足。腹部满饰三组环柱角兽面纹，细棱鼻，圆乳钉突目，展体，尾上卷。足呈圆雕式的变体虎形，耳部各立一虎。装饰手段多样，技法高超，有圆雕、浮雕、透雕和线刻数种。器型极其罕见，仅见中国国家历史博物馆和中国江西省博物馆有类似器物，是商代“虎方国”—一个仅在殷墟出土的甲骨文中有记载的神秘国家的重要见证遗存，非常珍稀，收藏价值极高！
ROUND DING WITH FLAT FEET AND LIFTING LUGS CAST WITH TIGERS IN THE ROUND
Thisis a piece of round Ding with flat feet and lifting lugs cast with tigers inthe round. It has a round body the surface of which is cast with a band ofthree animal masks neatly located in equal sections. Each animal mask has aflange for a nose, round protruding eyes, spread-out body and upturned tails.
Mostinteresting is each of the three flat feet takes the shape of a tiger standingon its tail.
Besidesthe tigers cast resting on the lugs, the brilliant decorative methods used onthis Ding are varied including works in the round, in relief, open works andintaglio works.
ThisDing is extremely rare with only one similar piece each in the China HistoryMuseum and the Jiangxi Provincial Museum respectively.
Thispiece is of the Shang period (12th– 11thcentury BC)tracing back to the mysterious “Hu Fang Guo” tribe recorded on the oracle bonesunearthed from the Yinxu sites.
Thisis an extremely rare and valuable Ding worthy of any serious Chinese bronzecollector.