Bidspirit auction | CHINESE GILDED BRONZE SILKWORM

CHINESE GILDED BRONZE SILKWORM - Han Dynasty, Ca. 202 BC - AD 220, or later. > A small yet evocative cast bronze figure of a silkworm, naturalistically rendered in a gently undulating form. The segmented body is articulated through a series of rounded ridges, tapering toward both ends, with a slightly raised head suggesting forward motion. The silkworm held profound significance in early Chinese culture, intimately associated with sericulture—the foundation of one of China’s most important economic and cultural traditions. Such representations may have served as auspicious objects, evoking prosperity, industry, and the transformative cycle of life. > Provenance: Private UK Collection. > For similar see: Shaanxi History Museum, Xi'an; Minneapolis Institute of Art Collection, accession number 96.55.1. > Size: 55mm x 7mm; Weight: 11.2g > This item has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation letter. >