Page 155 - China's Renaissance in Bronze, The Robert H.CIague Collection of Later Chinese Bronzes 1100-1900

IOLLOWING THE FORM of the ancient trumpet-mouthed zun wine
vessel, this tall but well proportioned, circular vase comprises three
F integrally cast components: a tall, conical base that splays outward,
terminating in a ringed foot; a bulbous central knob with gently rounded
sides; and an elongated neck with vertically expanding walls that flare
near the top to form the trumpet mouth. Butterflies of various types and
sizes embellish the three portions of the vase; presented from a variety of
vantage points - from above, in profile, and in three-quarter view, for
example - the butterflies are mostly shown in flight with wings spread.
The butterflies rise in low relief against a plain background. Most of the
butterflies are inlaid with sheet silver, the silver held in place by integrally
cast, thread-relief outlines; those not inlaid with silver show sufficient
remains of gold to indicate that they were originally completely gilded. A
plain, narrow band, top and bottom, frames the decoration on the central
knob, while two pairs of bowstring lines - one at the bottom of the neck and
the other at the top of the base - set off the knob itself, underscoring the
vessel's tripartite division. The lip and ring foot were originally gilded, as
were the spaces from the outer bowstring lines to the inner edges of the
narrow bands at the top and bottom of the knob, further emphasizing the
vessel's divisions on the one hand, but establishing a unifying rhythm on
the other. The interior of the vase is undecorated, as is the underside. The
warm, dark brown surface tone was induced through chemical treatments.
This handsome vessel was most likely made as a flower vase. In the
same manner that they used archaic bronzes as incense burners on special
occasions, connoisseurs from Song times onward occasionally used ancient
ritual vessels as vases for cut flowers and as pots for growing plants. Late
Ming treatises, for example, recommend archaic bronzes, especially the
gu and zun, as the most suitable vases for winter, and Song and early
Ming ceramic vases as best for summer, noting that well patinated old
bronzes that have been buried for a long time will keep flowers fresh and
bright. 1 Paintings of the period, especially those depicting scholars at their
leisure, often include archaic bronzes, some of which occasionally function
as flower vases and incense burners. Collectors realized that too frequent
use of their treasured antiquities would ruin them, so they surrounded
themselves with newly made bronzes as well; some, like the present vase,
followed ancient forms but used contemporary decorative motifs.
This vase derives from the late Shang zun, a stately vessel that in
antiquity was used for offerings of warmed wine. 2 Although the zun
resembles the gu beaker in shape, the zun's greater diameter - and thus

T I I E R O B E R T II. C L A G U E C O L L E C T I O N 1 5 1