WARRING STATES PERIOD (475-221 BC)

He of this form were made in different styles, some with more elaborate features than others. This he belongs to the group which used exotic and fanciful elements as decoration. Jenny So in Eastern Zhou Ritual Bronzes from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, vol. III, The Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, Washington D.C., 1995, p. 409, discusses the differences of he made in the north and the south during the Eastern Zhou period, and notes that those from the south have more elaborate decoration than those from the north. So illustrates a number of he, pp. 410-11, figs. 84.2-84.5, that demonstrate the differences in decoration.

The present he is notable for its elaborate zoomorphic design and richly sculptural details. The arched handle is cast in the form of a powerful tiger, while the spout takes the form of a bird with outspread wings perched on the shoulder of the vessel. Each of the three legs is modeled as a bird with outspread wings standing on the shoulders of a crouching humanoid figure. A similarly decorated he was sold at Christie’s New York, 25 September 2020, lot 1510. Another related example, formerly in the MacLean Collection, but with bird-form legs, was sold at Sotheby’s New York, 22 September 2021, lot 15.