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Lot Essay
The similarity of decoration on these two vessels, not only the very rare openwork wave pattern that encircles each base, but also the use of panels of birds in decorative bands, as well as the similarity in the patina of the bronze on each vessel, indicate that these were made as a set. Although the he was originally used as a vessel for pouring water into wine to dilute it to achieve the desired strength and flavor, by the middle Western Zhou dynasty it was used as a water vessel in conjunction with a similarly decorated pan for washing purposes. Also by the late middle Zhou period, the he was raised on a ring foot and not tripod supports of the late Shang and early Western Zhou periods.
The most unusual feature of these two vessels is the openwork wave band reflecting a regional style. This feature seems to appear most frequently on the pedestal foot of dou during the middle Western Zhou period, as evidenced by the published examples. See the wei Bo Xing dou from Shaanxi Fufeng Zhuangbai, dated to the end of middle Western Zhou, illustrated by J. Rawson, Western Zhou Ritual Bronzes from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, vol. IIA, Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, 1990, p. 106, fig. 150a. This same dou and two other examples with a wave band, incorporating other motifs, are illustrated in Shaanxi chutu Shang Zhou qingtongqi, vol. 2, Beijing, 1980, pl. 51 and vol. 3, pls. 62 and 110. These openwork bands appear to be a variation of the wave-pattern bands seen on other Western Zhou vessels such as the Bon Gong Fu, also from Shaanxi province, illustrated by Rawson, op. cit., p. 107, fig. 151b, and on the sides of a cylindrical vessel raised on four squatting human supports, which has a bird finial surmounting the cover, from Tianma-Qucun, Shanxi province, included in the exhibition, The Golden Age of Chinese Archaeology, National Gallery of Art, Washington DC, 19 September 1999 - 2 January 2000, p. 362, no. 90.
The bird finial, which first appeared during the Shang dynasty, continued in use during the Western Zhou, as evidenced by the one on the late Western Zhou vessel mentioned above. The use of a bird finial on the present he also continues the theme of plumed birds used as decoration on the neck of the he and inside the pan. Birds similar to those on the he can be seen in a narrow band on a you of middle Western Zhou date in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated by Rawson, op. cit., vol. IIB, p. 595, fig. 91.1 and in a rubbing of a band showing similar birds confronted on a similar simplified mask on a gui of middle Western Zhou date, illustrated by Rawson, op. cit, vol. IIA, p. 78, fig. 106 (bottom).
Two of the decorative motifs on the pan can be seen on a bronze yu in the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, illustrated by Rawson, op. cit. vol. IIB, pp. 474-5, no. 63, a wave band encircling the pedestal foot and a band of elongated birds with a long plume rising from the top of the head to arch over the beak in front. A fish similar to those swimming around the central whorl motif of this pan can be seen in a band of fish, birds and dragons decorating the interior sides of a pan dated to early Zhou dynasty (10th-8th century BC) illustrated by M. Beurdeley, The Chinese Collector through the Centuries, Vermont and Japan, 1966, p. 16, fig. I. Also decorating this latter pan are six birds applied to the rim. A band of similar fish is also on a pan dated to late Shang dynasty in the collection of Kyoto University, illustrated by Hayashi Minao, In shu jidai seidouki monyou no kenkyu, vol. 2, Tokyo, 1986, p. 288, fig. 10-72.
No other matching bronze he and pan appear to be published together, making the fact that these two have survived together very rare.
The result of Oxford Authentication Ltd. thermoluminescence test no. C102s83 is consistent with the dating of this lot.
Technical examination report available upon request.
The most unusual feature of these two vessels is the openwork wave band reflecting a regional style. This feature seems to appear most frequently on the pedestal foot of dou during the middle Western Zhou period, as evidenced by the published examples. See the wei Bo Xing dou from Shaanxi Fufeng Zhuangbai, dated to the end of middle Western Zhou, illustrated by J. Rawson, Western Zhou Ritual Bronzes from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, vol. IIA, Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, 1990, p. 106, fig. 150a. This same dou and two other examples with a wave band, incorporating other motifs, are illustrated in Shaanxi chutu Shang Zhou qingtongqi, vol. 2, Beijing, 1980, pl. 51 and vol. 3, pls. 62 and 110. These openwork bands appear to be a variation of the wave-pattern bands seen on other Western Zhou vessels such as the Bon Gong Fu, also from Shaanxi province, illustrated by Rawson, op. cit., p. 107, fig. 151b, and on the sides of a cylindrical vessel raised on four squatting human supports, which has a bird finial surmounting the cover, from Tianma-Qucun, Shanxi province, included in the exhibition, The Golden Age of Chinese Archaeology, National Gallery of Art, Washington DC, 19 September 1999 - 2 January 2000, p. 362, no. 90.
The bird finial, which first appeared during the Shang dynasty, continued in use during the Western Zhou, as evidenced by the one on the late Western Zhou vessel mentioned above. The use of a bird finial on the present he also continues the theme of plumed birds used as decoration on the neck of the he and inside the pan. Birds similar to those on the he can be seen in a narrow band on a you of middle Western Zhou date in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated by Rawson, op. cit., vol. IIB, p. 595, fig. 91.1 and in a rubbing of a band showing similar birds confronted on a similar simplified mask on a gui of middle Western Zhou date, illustrated by Rawson, op. cit, vol. IIA, p. 78, fig. 106 (bottom).
Two of the decorative motifs on the pan can be seen on a bronze yu in the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, illustrated by Rawson, op. cit. vol. IIB, pp. 474-5, no. 63, a wave band encircling the pedestal foot and a band of elongated birds with a long plume rising from the top of the head to arch over the beak in front. A fish similar to those swimming around the central whorl motif of this pan can be seen in a band of fish, birds and dragons decorating the interior sides of a pan dated to early Zhou dynasty (10th-8th century BC) illustrated by M. Beurdeley, The Chinese Collector through the Centuries, Vermont and Japan, 1966, p. 16, fig. I. Also decorating this latter pan are six birds applied to the rim. A band of similar fish is also on a pan dated to late Shang dynasty in the collection of Kyoto University, illustrated by Hayashi Minao, In shu jidai seidouki monyou no kenkyu, vol. 2, Tokyo, 1986, p. 288, fig. 10-72.
No other matching bronze he and pan appear to be published together, making the fact that these two have survived together very rare.
The result of Oxford Authentication Ltd. thermoluminescence test no. C102s83 is consistent with the dating of this lot.
Technical examination report available upon request.