TWO SANCAI-GLAZED BUDDHIST LION HEAD FRAGMENTS Ming Dynasty, circa 1407-1431 Each naturalistically modelled with bulging eyes, wide nostrils and a curiously grinning face, with tightly curled hair glazed in yellow with green curls and a splash of red-brown glaze covering the nose. 9cm (3 1/2in) wide. Footnotes: Please note this Lot is to be sold at No Reserve. 本拍品不設底價 明 三彩佛獅首殘件兩件 Provenance: Baoen Temple, Nanjing, perhaps from the Porcelain Pagoda, 1842 (affixed paper label) Professor and Mrs. Peter H. Plesch FRSC (1918-2013), collection no. CS10p (labels) Acquired from R & G McPherson Antiques, London, in December 2009 (collector's notes) Published, Illustrated and Exhibited: The Oriental Ceramic Society, The World in Colours: An Exhibition of Ceramics with Coloured Decoration dating from 700 to 1920 belonging to members of the Oriental Ceramic Society, London, 2006, p.21, cat.no.23 a & b The Oriental Ceramic Society, China Without Dragons: Rare Pieces from Oriental Ceramic Society Members, London, 2016, p.53, no.21 Published and Illustrated: M. White, Beasts at the Whites' House: A Selection of Ceramics from the Whites' House Collection, vol.1, n.p., 2020, p.92 Peter Hariolf Plesch (1918-2013) was a Professor of Chemistry at Keele University and a dedicated collector of Chinese art, particularly ceramics and glass. Born in Frankfurt, he moved to the UK in 1933 with his father, Janos Plesch, a close associate of Albert Einstein. Educated at Harrow and Cambridge, Plesch became known for his exceptional collection of Chinese glass. After retiring, he and his wife moved to an Art Deco-influenced house in Newcastle-under-Lyme, where they created a private museum for their Chinese and Korean art. Known for his meticulous attention to detail, Plesch kept thorough records of expert opinions on his collection. See R. Davids & D. Jellinek, Provenance: Collectors, Dealers & Scholars: Chinese Ceramics in Britain & America, Oxford, 2011, pp.361. These lion heads formed part of larger architectural components. It is not certain whether the heads came from the Nanjing Porcelain Pagoda (begun in 1412) or from the adjacent temple site (constructed from 1407 onwards), although lions are depicted in sancai glazed stoneware arch surrounds that may be confidently  attributed to the pagoda. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing