Lot Essay
A very similar gui, cast with dragons rather than long-tailed birds, was sold at Christie's New York, 14 September 2009, lot 3.
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PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE CONNECTICUT COLLECTION
A BRONZE RITUAL FOOD VESSEL, GUI
EARLY WESTERN ZHOU DYNASTY, 12TH-11TH CENTURY BC
Details
A BRONZE RITUAL FOOD VESSEL, GUI
EARLY WESTERN ZHOU DYNASTY, 12TH-11TH CENTURY BC
The body is cast with a band of narrow vertical ribs below a band of long-tailed birds confronted on a simplified mask and reserved on a leiwen ground, interrupted by two animal masks which surmount the handles cast in intaglio on the sides with scrolls and terminating below in a tab cast as a claw. A similar bird band encircles the high foot. A two-character inscription, yong bao, 'treasured forever', is cast below the rim on the interior. The bronze has a mottled, dark grey patina with areas of malachite encrustation.
10¾ in. (27.2 cm.) across handles
EARLY WESTERN ZHOU DYNASTY, 12TH-11TH CENTURY BC
The body is cast with a band of narrow vertical ribs below a band of long-tailed birds confronted on a simplified mask and reserved on a leiwen ground, interrupted by two animal masks which surmount the handles cast in intaglio on the sides with scrolls and terminating below in a tab cast as a claw. A similar bird band encircles the high foot. A two-character inscription, yong bao, 'treasured forever', is cast below the rim on the interior. The bronze has a mottled, dark grey patina with areas of malachite encrustation.
10¾ in. (27.2 cm.) across handles
Provenance
Acquired in Hong Kong, 3 August 1994.
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