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Lot Essay
The wei and xia function respectively as the axle cap and linchpin of a chariot-wheel assembly. In order to secure the wheel and prevent it from slipping off the axle, the lower section of the wei was fitted over the axle, then locked in place by inserting the xia through the rectangular apertures.
A comprehensive study of axle caps and related closed-end fittings was published by Orvar Karlbeck in 1967, in which a number of Zhou-dynasty examples are discussed. Among the most elaborate pieces cited by Karlbeck is an axle cap decorated in high relief with intricate interlaced birds. Although the ornament differs in motif from the serpentine pattern on the present weixia, both achieve a similarly dense, animated surface effect. See O. Karlbeck, “Notes on Some Chinese Wheel Axle-caps,” Bulletin of the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, Stockholm, no. 39, 1967, pp. 53-74, no. B17.
The high-relief interlaced-snake design on the present wei xia, rendered with remarkable details, recalls the exuberant three-dimensional decoration found on bronzes from the tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng, excavated at Leigudun, Suizhou, Hubei province in 1977. See, for example, the bronze pan illustrated by Wang Wei in Marquis Yi of Zeng, Beijing, 2018, no. 20, pp. 80–91. The present pair is also distinguished by the rich silvery patina of the bronze, which would indicate the high status of the owner.
A comprehensive study of axle caps and related closed-end fittings was published by Orvar Karlbeck in 1967, in which a number of Zhou-dynasty examples are discussed. Among the most elaborate pieces cited by Karlbeck is an axle cap decorated in high relief with intricate interlaced birds. Although the ornament differs in motif from the serpentine pattern on the present weixia, both achieve a similarly dense, animated surface effect. See O. Karlbeck, “Notes on Some Chinese Wheel Axle-caps,” Bulletin of the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, Stockholm, no. 39, 1967, pp. 53-74, no. B17.
The high-relief interlaced-snake design on the present wei xia, rendered with remarkable details, recalls the exuberant three-dimensional decoration found on bronzes from the tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng, excavated at Leigudun, Suizhou, Hubei province in 1977. See, for example, the bronze pan illustrated by Wang Wei in Marquis Yi of Zeng, Beijing, 2018, no. 20, pp. 80–91. The present pair is also distinguished by the rich silvery patina of the bronze, which would indicate the high status of the owner.