EASTERN ZHOU DYNASTY

Details

An archaic bronze ceremonial wine vessel, Fou
Eastern Zhou dynasty
The squat globular body raised on a foot encircled by a single rope motif, cast in flat relief with four bands of conjoined oblong twist-rope panels enclosing an interlocking geometric pattern, the shoulders applied with S-shaped animal handles suspending loose rings, surmounted by a cylindrical neck with flat everted rim, green and olive brown patina, some old damage and restoration
29.7 cm. high

Literature

H.F.E. Visser, Asiatic Art in private Collections in Holland and Belgium, Amsterdam, 1948, pp. 35, 116-117, pl. 18, nr. 23.

Exhibited

Amsterdam, 1938, Uit de schatkamers der Oudheid, no. 89.
Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum, 3 July - 10 October 1954, Oosterse Schatten, 4000 Jaar Aziatische Kunst, p. 13, no. 20.

Special notice

On occasion, Christie's has a direct financial interest in lots consigned for sale which may include guaranteeing a minimum price or making an advance to the consignor that is secured solely by consigned property. This is such a lot. This indicates both in cases where Christie's holds the financial interest on its own, and in cases where Christie's has financed all or a part of such interest through a third party. Such third parties generally benefit financially if a guaranteed lot is sold successfully and may incur a loss if the sale is not successful. Christie’s charges a premium to the buyer on the Hammer Price of each lot sold at the following rates: 29.75% of the Hammer Price of each lot up to and including €5,000, plus 23.8% of the Hammer Price between €5,001 and €400,000, plus 14.28% of any amount in excess of €400,001. Buyer’s premium is calculated on the basis of each lot individually.

Lot Essay

A fou of very similar shape and with identical decoration, but without handles, is illustrated by J. So, Eastern Zhou Ritual Bronzes from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, 1995, p. 217, nr. 34.
Compare, also, the fou of this type on pp. 218-219, nr. 34.1 which has similar loose ring animal handles but has an additional row of panels and a keyfret-pattern band encircling the foot.
J. So points out that vessels with 'twist-rope' panels can be found from the provinces Shanxi to Hebei. The example illustrated in J. So, ibid, nr. 34.1 resembles the present lot very closely and was excavated north of the Yellow River from Shanxi Changzhi Fenshuiling. It has been dated 6th Century B.C.

More from Anton Philips, Entrepreneur & Connoisseur

View All