Lot 66
66
A FINE ARCHAIC BRONZE CEREMONIAL FOOD VESSEL, GUI
PROPERTY FROM A EUROPEAN ROYAL FAMILY
A FINE ARCHAIC BRONZE CEREMONIAL FOOD VESSEL, GUI

LATE SHANG DYNASTY, 12TH CENTURY BC

Details
A FINE ARCHAIC BRONZE CEREMONIAL FOOD VESSEL, GUI
LATE SHANG DYNASTY, 12TH CENTURY BC
The slightly rounded body supported on a tall stepped foot, cast around the exterior with two large taotie masks divided by a central flange and surrounded by C-scrolls, the foot cast with a band of stylised birds and divided into quadrants by raised flanges, all reserved on a leiwen ground, the shoulder similarly decorated and with a small bovine mask to the front and reverse, the sides applied with loop handles emanating from intricate horned animal masks, the interior carved with a pictograph to the centre
12 in. (30.5 cm.) across handles
Provenance
H.M. King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden (1882-1973), and thence by descent to the current owner.

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Louise Britain
Louise Britain

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Lot Essay

The unusual 'spear-head' pictograph seen to the interior of the current vessel can be seen on a few other archaic bronzes from the same period. See Robert W. Bagley, Shang Ritual Bronzes in the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, Washington D.C., 1987, p.227, pl. 28, for a gu-form vase with a simplified version of the same pictograph to the interior.
A yu-form vessel from Shaaxi Wugong Youfengzhen bearing the exact same pictograph is reproduced in the same catalogue, ibid., p. 507, fig. 98.4.

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