WARRING STATES PERIOD (475-221 BC)

Known as a bianhu, or “flattened hu”, this impressive wine jar represents a new interpretation of the hu jar introduced in the fifth or early fourth century BC, during the Warring States period (c. 475 BC–221 BC); in fact, it would come to rank among the most iconic vessels of the period. Not only is the shape new, but so is the crisply-cast decorative scheme, which features panels of abstract decoration as well as inlays of copper and silver. The virtually identical bianhu jar excavated at Shangcunling, Sanmenxia, Henan province, provides archaeological confirmation of this jar’s Warring States-period origins. Moreover, this impressive vessel has been published by such eminent specialists in Chinese art as William Watson (1917–2007), John Ayers (1922–2021), and Jessica Rawson, and it has passed through the hands of such distinguished collectors as Captain Vivian Frances Bulkeley-Johnson (1891–1968) of Oxfordshire, UK, who assembled the Mount Trust Collection, and, more recently, of Bella and P.P. Chiu of Hong Kong and San Francisco (Bella Ma Chiu), who formed the Shanhailou Collection of Ancient Chinese Bronzes. With kinship to archaeologically attested vessels, with an impressive record of scholarly publications, and with a distinguished provenance, this bianhu truly is a rare treasure.