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Lot Essay
Gu vessels, used for wine in ritual ceremonies, are among the most distinctive bronze forms of the Shang dynasty. Their origins trace back to the Erlitou period (circa 2000–1500 BC), where they appeared as slender beakers, eventually evolving into the elegant, trumpet-mouthed forms characteristic of the late Anyang period (12th–11th century BC). The importance of gu in Shang ritual practice is underscored by the discovery of fifty-three examples in the tomb of Fu Hao.
The present gu closely parallels examples unearthed at the Shang capital site near Anyang, Henan province, both in form and decorative scheme. A comparable vessel is illustrated in Robert W. Bagley, Shang Ritual Bronzes in the Arthur M. Sackler Collection, Washington, D.C., 1987, p. 255, no. 38. Another related example was sold in Shang: Early Chinese Ritual Bronzes from the Daniel Shapiro Collection, Christie’s New York, 18 March 2021, lot 501.
The present gu closely parallels examples unearthed at the Shang capital site near Anyang, Henan province, both in form and decorative scheme. A comparable vessel is illustrated in Robert W. Bagley, Shang Ritual Bronzes in the Arthur M. Sackler Collection, Washington, D.C., 1987, p. 255, no. 38. Another related example was sold in Shang: Early Chinese Ritual Bronzes from the Daniel Shapiro Collection, Christie’s New York, 18 March 2021, lot 501.