Important cast iron Bathtub. China Qing or earlier.
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Directory: Antiques: Regional Art: Asian: Chinese: Metalwork: Pre 1800: Item # 1445467
Directory: Antiques: Regional Art: Asian: Chinese: Metalwork: Pre 1800: Item # 1445467
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Exceptionally rare cast iron bathtub. China 18° or before. The body is supported by four feet representing Buddhist lion heads. 4 large mobile rings fixed laterally allowed to move the object. The sides are decorated with large flowering plants in 3 cartouches, in the 4th there is nothing. I think there must have been a lacquer pattern in high relief, which has ,today,disappeared. In the past I have seen a cast iron stove with identical feet that had large lacquer "Bonji"characters, I attach a photo. There are modern fakes of identical shape and size, one of them has exactly the same decoration, which makes me think that there must be in China, somewhere, an identical model that served as an example,I attach the photo of the 2. These fakes are sold as being large temple censers? But the mine present has an evacuation at the bottom on the side that would logically be an outlet. A part of this outlet is broken, perhaps it was the head of an animal, Lion or dragon? The hypothesis that it is a child's bathtub is reinforced by the fact that bathtubs of these dimensions were used in China. I enclose a picture from the movie "The Last Emperor" where we can see the eunuchs giving the bath to the young emperor Pu-Yi (Xuan Tong) in a bathtub of identical shape and size.Look photo.
State of conservation:
The lacquer decoration of a cartouche missing.
One ring replaced.
The drain tap broken.
Length 90cm.
Weight about 60 to 80 kg to be checked.
