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Lot Essay
Gui was the primary food vessel used in ceremonial rituals to offer cooked grains. A foundational component of ritual paraphernalia, the form originated from the Anyang period (c. 1300–1046 BC) and evolved into diverse variants. With its flared mouth rim, deep rounded body, and bold C-loop handles each terminates in a pendent tab, the present lot epitomizes the classic gui of the Western Zhou dynasty.
What distinguishes the present gui is its dense, complex, and fully rendered decorative design. The neck is intricately cast with a band of kui dragons alternating with whirl bosses, centered on each side by a high-relief animal mask, set below an unusual band of upright triangular lappets. The main register features two prominent taotie masks, complemented by a further band of stylised phoenix encircling the slightly splayed foot.
Compare a Western Zhou bronze gui with related motifs, though raised on a higher, stepped foot, in the collection of Minneapolis Institute of Art, object no. 50.46.19. See also a bronze gui case with similar design, but with the upper neck band left plain, previously in the collection of Robert H. Ellsworth, sold at Christie’s New York, 22 March 2019, lot 1508.
What distinguishes the present gui is its dense, complex, and fully rendered decorative design. The neck is intricately cast with a band of kui dragons alternating with whirl bosses, centered on each side by a high-relief animal mask, set below an unusual band of upright triangular lappets. The main register features two prominent taotie masks, complemented by a further band of stylised phoenix encircling the slightly splayed foot.
Compare a Western Zhou bronze gui with related motifs, though raised on a higher, stepped foot, in the collection of Minneapolis Institute of Art, object no. 50.46.19. See also a bronze gui case with similar design, but with the upper neck band left plain, previously in the collection of Robert H. Ellsworth, sold at Christie’s New York, 22 March 2019, lot 1508.