拍賣筆記 vol.470 佳士得紐約2026：5.376萬美元售出，唐銀背局部鎏金銅纏枝神獸紋菱花鏡，Max N. Berry - A Silver-Backed Parcel-Gilt Bronze 'Animals And Birds' Octofoil Mirror, Tang Dynasty, Sold for US$53760

此作源自著名藏家麥克斯·N·貝里（Max N. Berry）的珍藏，來源清晰，購於2004年3月23日的紐約蘇富比拍賣會。這類精細工藝的唐代鏡子正在逐漸獲得藏家的青睞，銅鏡上覆蓋著一層精細捶鍱的銀鎏金，裝飾走獸纏枝花鳥，是經典的母題，有多種側村，此類屬於中等，另有更小一類袖珍尺寸在10cm左右。

過往的藏家多依賴古董經銷商建立收藏體系，僅有少數會親自於拍場舉牌；在二三十年前，直接參與拍賣的比例遠低於現今。然而，隨著近年拍賣產業的蓬勃發展，部分藏家已完全轉向百分之百於拍賣會上購藏。這種策略轉變的利弊，恐怕要等到這批藏家未來釋出藏品時，方能交由市場全面驗證。

如藍理捷（J.J. Lally）與埃斯肯納齊（Eskenazi）這般殿堂級的專家顧問，其深厚的專業底蘊極難被一般藏家超越，甚至連拍賣行專家也難以企及。俗話說：「不要用自己的業餘愛好去挑戰別人的專業」，話糙理不糙。而貝里先生建立其卓越收藏背後最仰賴的首席顧問，正是藍理捷。（SACA觀察，2026.09.22）

博古精鑑：Max N. Berry珍藏

唐 銀背局部鎏金銅纏枝神獸紋菱花鏡

TANG DYNASTY (AD 618-907)

成交價

美元 53,760

估價

美元 4,000 – 美元 6,000

拍品終止拍賣: 

2026年9月18日

5 1⁄8 in. (13 cm.) wide

來源

紐約蘇富比，2004年3月23日，拍品編號592

同款／近同型

1. 埃斯肯納齊 1998 年展 17 號稍大一號的鎏金銀／銅鏡，紋飾與本器最接近：獅虎禽鳥圍以纏枝。佳士得圖錄第一條對比即此件。展冊：Animals and Animal Designs in Chinese Art，Eskenazi, New York, 1998, no. 17。

2. 哈佛大學 Sackler／Winthrop 舊藏（1969 圖錄 61 號）稍大一號銀背鏡，鈕周飾六獅；銀片下有相當於公元 682–683 年的銘文，是此工藝可卡到高宗／武后期的關鍵標尺。著錄：Grenville L. Winthrop: Retrospective for a Collector，Fogg Art Museum, 1969, pp. 68–69, no. 61。同批 Winthrop 唐鏡（金片嵌菱花口，1943.52.158，圖錄 62 號）可參：https://harvardartmuseums.org/collections/object/204278

3. 安思遠（Robert H. Ellsworth）舊藏小銀背六出鏡寬 5.7 厘米，銀片錘鍱獸鈕、纏枝托二獅二鳥，局部鎏金，魚子地。工藝、題材與本器同系，只是尺寸縮小、六出而非八出菱花。佳士得紐約 2012 年 3 月 22 日 Luminous Perfection，lot 1453。https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5540063

4. 賽克勒基金會舊藏一組（大平脫＋兩面小銀背菱花）兩面小銀背八出鏡：一面獅鳥纏枝，一面飛鳥折枝，魚子地錘鍱，與本器技法一致。與一面大型金銀平脫鏡同組上拍。佳士得紐約 2009 年 9 月 15 日，lot 147。https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5231894

5. 佳士得紐約 Important Chinese Art（Sale 23947），2026 年 3 月 26–27 日，標頭同為「博古精鑑：Max N. Berry 珍藏」。與本器同藏家、同工藝（銅胎嵌銀片），但體量小一檔，只能作技法與來源參照，不能當同尺寸同款。

拍品 688　唐 銀背瑞獸紋八角小銅鏡

寬 5.1 厘米（2 in.），壓克力及金屬座

來源：Eskenazi Ltd., London，2008 年 3 月 25 日，編號 c1439

專場紀錄：估 $4,000–6,000，成交 $19,050

https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-6575695

拍品 689　唐 銀背鳥獸紋小銅鏡（六出）

寬 5.7 厘米（2¼ in.），壓克力及金屬座

來源：Eskenazi Ltd., London，2008 年 3 月 25 日，編號 c1585

專場紀錄：估 $4,000–6,000，成交 $19,050

https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-6575696

6. 上海博物館《上海博物館藏古代銅鏡》2005，pp. 236–237，no. 80，約 6 厘米小銀背花式鏡，安思遠圖錄引為同型。洛陽出土兩面近例：洛陽出土銅鏡，1988，nos. 115、116。

7. Donald H. Graham Jr. 收藏 85 號銀／鎏金銀片花式鏡。Nakano 等指出：銅鏡嵌銀或鎏金銀錘鍱片始見於隋，盛於盛唐花式鏡。Bronze Mirrors from Ancient China: Donald H. Graham Jr. Collection，1994, pp. 230–231, no. 85。

8. 住友／泉屋博古館Tang Mirrors，Sen-Oku Hakuko Kan, Kyoto, 2006, p. 43, no. 55：唐銀背菱花鏡，瑞獸姿態與安思遠局部鎏金菱花鑄鏡可對看。https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5540068

另有類似接近的：

• 高錫鑄「銀光」海獸葡萄鏡：上博、哈佛 1943.52.166、波士頓美術館等極多，是鑄造而非嵌銀片。

• 漆地金銀平脫：正倉院、克利夫蘭、Berry 本人那面 23.8 厘米大鏡（2026 成交 $215,900）屬另一頂級工藝。https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-6575689

FAQ／常見問題

Q1. 這是什麼鏡？和「海獸葡萄鏡」是不是同一種？A. 不是同一種。本器是 銀背鏡：銅鏡背面嵌一層錘鍱銀片，再局部鎏金。海獸葡萄鏡多為高錫青銅一次鑄成，表面呈銀白色，不嵌銀片。題材都有獅獸、花枝，但製法、品類等級不同。

Q1. What is this mirror? Is it a “lion-and-grapevine” mirror?A. No. This is a silver-backed mirror: a bronze disc with a chased silver sheet applied to the reverse, parcel-gilt. Classic lion-and-grapevine mirrors are cast in high-tin bronze and only look silvery; they do not have a separate silver sheet. Motifs overlap; the technique does not.

Q2. 「銀背」「平脫」「鎏金」怎麼分？A.

• 銀背：整片銀箔錘鍱後嵌入銅背。

• 平脫：漆地嵌金銀薄片再打磨，如正倉院、Berry 那面大平脫鏡。

• 局部鎏金：銀地上局部塗金，突出獅虎禽鳥。

  
  

  本器是銀背＋局部鎏金，不是平脫。

Q2. Silver-backed vs pingtuo vs parcel-gilt?A. Silver-backed = a full silver sheet chased and set onto bronze. Pingtuo = gold and silver foil in lacquer, then polished flush. Parcel-gilt = selected motifs fire-gilded on the silver. This lot is silver-backed and parcel-gilt, not pingtuo.

Q3. 菱花鏡是什麼時候流行的？A. 隋已見嵌銀／鎏金銀片，盛唐（約八世紀中葉）在花式、菱花鏡上最盛。Winthrop 那面銀片下銘相當於 682–683 年，把此類工藝釘在高宗晚年至武周期。揚州是文獻與出土都指向的鑄鏡中心之一。

Q3. When were octofoil silver-backed mirrors made?A. Silver or gilt-silver sheets on bronze appear in the Sui and peak on lobed Tang mirrors in the mid-eighth century. The Winthrop example, inscribed under the sheet with a date equivalent to AD 682–683, anchors the type to the Gaozong / Wu Zhou years. Yangzhou is a documented production centre.

Q4. 豕形鈕少見嗎？A. 唐鏡鈕以伏獸、狻猊最常見；豕形（boar-form loop）明顯少於獅鈕，是本器辨識點之一。圖錄特別寫出，說明並非套話。

Q4. Is the boar-form knob unusual?A. Yes. Tang knobs are usually recumbent lions or mythical beasts. A boar-form loop is less common and is flagged in the catalogue for a reason.

Q5. 市場上真正的「同款」多嗎？A. 不多。完整、中型（10 厘米以上）銀背菱花瑞獸鏡，公開著錄只有數件量級：Eskenazi 1998.17、Winthrop 1969.61、本器。拍場更常見的是 5–6 厘米袖珍銀背，或圓形嵌銀海獸葡萄。不能拿普通鑄造海獸葡萄鏡的成交來直接比價。

Q5. How rare is a true match?A. Scarce. Fully published, mid-size (10 cm+) silver-backed octofoil mirrors with beasts and birds number only a handful: Eskenazi 1998 no. 17, Winthrop 1969 no. 61, and this piece. The market more often sees 5–6 cm miniatures or circular silver-inset lion-and-grapevine mirrors. Cast silvery bronze examples are not price comparables.

Q6. 有沒有可靠成交可以參考？A. 最貼的是同一藏家 2026 年兩面小銀背（5.1／5.7 厘米）各 $19,050（估 $4,000–6,000）。Ellsworth 5.7 厘米銀背六出、Sackler 一組小銀背、Zacke 嵌銀海獸葡萄約 €10,400，說明銀背即使很小也有獨立買家。本器 13 厘米，體量與完整度高一檔。

Q6. What auction prices matter?A. The closest anchors are Berry’s own two small silver-backed mirrors sold in 2026 at $19,050 each (est. $4,000–6,000). Ellsworth’s 5.7 cm hexafoil and the Sackler pair show that even miniature silver-backs find dedicated bidding. Zacke’s silver-inset lion-and-grapevine made about €10,400. This 13 cm octofoil sits a tier above the miniatures.

Q7. 博物館裡有沒有可以對看的？A. 有：哈佛 Winthrop／Sackler（銀背紀年標尺＋金片菱花口）；上博 no. 80；洛陽出土 115、116；Graham 85 號；泉屋博古館 2006.55。正倉院、克利夫蘭多為平脫或螺鈿，工藝相鄰、不是同款。

Q7. Where can one see related museum pieces?A. Harvard (Winthrop / Sackler: dated silver-back plus a gold-plaque foliate mirror); Shanghai Museum no. 80; Luoyang excavated nos. 115–116; Graham Collection no. 85; Sen-Oku Hakuko Kan 2006 no. 55. Shōsō-in and Cleveland holdings are mainly pingtuo or mother-of-pearl—adjacent luxury techniques, not the same type.

Q9. 鑑定時先看什麼？A.

1. 銀片與銅胎的結合是否原配，邊緣有無後配、補片。

2. 魚子地是否細密均勻，錘鍱深淺是否一致。

3. 鎏金是原金還是後塗。

4. 菱口是否鑄造原形，有無後削。

5. 與 Winthrop、上博、Ellsworth 小件的佈局、獸形、葉脈能否對上。

   
   

   銀片下若有銘（如哈佛例）極為關鍵，本器圖錄未記銘文。

Q9. What should one check first?A. Whether the silver sheet is original to the bronze; evenness of the ring-punched ground; whether the gilding is original; whether the octofoil outline is cast, not recut; and whether the beasts and foliage sit in the same design family as Winthrop, Shanghai and Ellsworth. An inscription under the sheet, as on the Harvard example, would be decisive; none is recorded on this lot.

Q10. 原件與圖錄連結？A. 中文：https://www.christies.com/zh/lot/lot-6598463英文：https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-65984632004 年來源：Sotheby’s New York, 23 March 2004, lot 592。

公開資料裡，13 厘米級、銀背局部鎏金、菱花、獅虎禽鳥纏枝、豕鈕 的完整重合，目前仍只有本器與 Eskenazi 1998.17、Winthrop 1969.61 這一小圈。其餘多為縮小版或圓形嵌銀。

This piece hails from the distinguished collection of Max N. Berry, with a clear provenance tracing back to its acquisition at Sotheby’s New York on March 23, 2004.

Historically—particularly two to three decades ago—collectors primarily built their collections through private dealers, with only a small fraction of works bought directly at auction. Today, driven by a booming auction industry, this dynamic has shifted significantly, and some collectors now source their acquisitions entirely from the auction block. The true merits and drawbacks of this modern approach will only be fully measured when this current generation of collectors eventually releases their holdings back into the market.

Ultimately, the profound expertise of top-tier advisors and dealers like J.J. Lally and Giuseppe Eskenazi remains virtually unmatched—not only by individual collectors but often by auction house specialists as well. As the adage goes, "Never use your hobby to challenge someone else's profession." It is a blunt but undeniable truth. Appropriately, Max N. Berry’s primary advisor in building his remarkable collection was none other than J.J. Lally.

Collector/Connoisseur: The Max N. Berry Collections

A SILVER-BACKED PARCEL-GILT BRONZE 'ANIMALS AND BIRDS' OCTOFOIL MIRROR

TANG DYNASTY (AD 618-907)

Price realised

USD 53,760

Estimate

USD 4,000 – USD 6,000

Estimates do not reflect the final hammer price and do not include buyer's premium, and applicable taxes or artist's resale right. Please see Section D of the Conditions of Sale for full details.

Closed: 

18 Sep 2026

5 1⁄8 in. (13 cm.) wide

PROVENANCE

Sotheby's New York, 23 March 2004, lot 592.

Condition:

-Appears to be in overall good condition

-A few expected minor surface scratches and abrasion

-Some light malachite encrustation and expected tarnishing, and the mirror has been slightly cleaned

-A tiny chip and a nick to the tip of one lobe, and a few expected minute nicks to the edges and raised decoration

The present mirror is decorated with lions, tigers and birds enclosed by a foliate scroll and with a boar-form loop handle. A slightly larger bronze and gilt-silver mirror decorated with a similar design was included in the exhibition Animals and Animal Designs in Chinese Art, Eskenazi, New York,1998, no. 17 and another slightly larger silver-backed mirror with six lions around the central knop, now in the Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Harvard University, and inscribed with a date equivalent to 682 – 683 AD beneath the silver backing, is illustrated in Grenville L. Winthrop: Retrospective for a Collector, Fogg Art Museum, Cambridge, 1969, pp. 68-9, cat. no. 61.