A FINELY CAST ARCHAIC BRONZE WINE VESSEL, GU

SHANG DYNASTY

Details

A FINELY CAST ARCHAIC BRONZE WINE VESSEL, GU
Shang Dynasty
The slender vessel with a flaring trumpet mouth, crisply cast with a band of stylized cicada-blades above four evenly spaced star motifs, the central section and high foot cast with taotie masks on a leiwen ground on the foot below a band of cicadas, and divided vertically by raised flanges and horizontally by double bowstring bands and pierced with two crosses, the underside of the foot cast with a single pictograph, the patina of pale green tone with encrustation
12in. (30.5cm.) high

Lot Essay

The star motif used just above the mid-section is a distinguishing feature of this gu. When decorated at all, this section is more often occupied by leiwen or serpents. With the exception of this band of stars and the minor band of cicadas below, a very similarly decorated gu, with the same design elements cast in relief, is illustrated by Robert W. Bagley in Shang Ritual Bronzes in the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, 1987, pp. 248-249, no. 36