Page 21 - Bonhams, Roger Keverne Moving on Part 1 May 11, 2021 London

Gu vessels were used as sacrificial wine receptacles
and were among the most important objects used
in rituals during the late Shang dynasty. Although
reference to the name gu is frequently found in
early ritual texts, it became associated with the
present vessel shape in the catalogues of antiquities
produced by Song dynasty scholars. The shape
appears to have originated in pottery production
of the Neolithic period, which came in various
sizes and shapes. The bronze version, however,
probably emerged during the Erligang period
(c.1510-1460 BC) and became popular during the
Yinxu period (1250-1192 BC), when it became an
important component of ritual vessel sets. Similar
archaic gu vessels, Shang dynasty, are illustrated
by R.W.Bagley, Shang Ritual Bronzes in the Arthur
M.Sackler Collections, Cambridge MA, 1987,
pp.216-227.

A similar ritual bronze wine vessel, gu, late Shang
dynasty, was sold at Bonhams Hong Kong, 29
November 2016, lot 28. See also another related
gu, late Shang dynasty, which was sold at Sotheby’s
New York, 18 March 2014, lot 6. Another example,
Shang dynasty, formerly in the Cunliffe collection,
was sold at Bonhams London, 5 Nov 2009, lot 3.

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