May 2022 Fine Estate Auction
Sun, May 15, 2022 02:00PM EDT
Lot 251
Two Han Dynasty Funerary Urns
Estimate: $1,000 - $1,500
Sold for
$600
Sold Price excludes BP
Bid Increments
| Price | Bid Increment |
|---|---|
| $0 | $10 |
| $100 | $25 |
| $500 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 | $25,000 |
| $500,000 | $50,000 |
Both lidded urns decorated with faded script, one with figures of Deities.
Both on presentation bases with brass plaques.
The urns are accompanied with documentation from Peter Kievenaar, a diplomat with the OWI (Office of War Information) during World War II.
He states, in several letters dated January and March 1974 that the urns were unearthed in 1944 in Kunming, Yunnan Province "under my direct supervision," by workers with the American Armed Forces clearing a field in order to build an airstrip. He personally collected twelve urns and had them authenticated by Dr. Robert Van Gulic, anthropologist with the Netherlands Embassy in Chunking.
Also included is a black and white photo of Dr. Van Gulic at the excavation site.
Background: After Burma fell to the Japan Imperial forces in 1942 cutting off supplies via the Burma Road, US efforts turned to building a network of air fields in Southern China.
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