A Small Bronze Gui

WESTERN ZHOU DYNASTY

Details

A Small Bronze Gui
Western Zhou Dynasty
Well cast in relief below the everted rim and on the spreading pedestal foot with narrow bands of serpents, the upper band centered on two sides by a small bovine mask, with further bovine masks surmounting each of the handles, with a pictogram cast in the interior, with mottled grey and pale green patina
8in. (22.2cm.) across handles

Lot Essay

The decoration on this gui appears to be very unusual. Not only the motif itself, small angular serpents, but serpents with detached scale pattern. The foot of a gui with a similar band is illustrated by Bernhard Karlgren, 'Some New Bronzes in the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities', B.M.F.E.A., No. 24, 1959, pl. 17, fig. 16. Similar detached scales can also been seen on a dragon's body on a carved bone fragment, pl. 19, fig. 33.

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