Page 42 - Christie's IMPORTANT CHINESE Ceramics and Works of Art may 28 2021 hk

PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE ASIAN COLLECTION
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A VERY RARE BRONZE RECTANGULAR 晚商 安陽 青銅方鼎
FOOD VESSEL, FANGDING 來源
LATE SHANG DYNASTY, ANYANG, 11TH-12TH CENTURY BC Littleton & Hennessy Oriental Art，倫敦，1998 年 10 月 30 日
The deep rectangular body is raised on four columnar legs and is 亞洲私人珍藏
cast in rounded relief on each side with a taotie mask below a band
of confronted kui dragons, all centred by vertical flanges which are 方器在中國青銅時代具有重要的意義，其數量遠較同類圓器稀少，廠肆
repeated at the corners below the pair of upright handles that rise 間素有「一方抵十圓」的說法。最早的方形禮器為商早期的大方鼎，如
from the rim. 河南鄭州杜嶺所出的青銅方鼎（高 100 公分），見 2013 年合肥出版《商
7 in. (17.5 cm.) across handles, box 邑翼翼四方之極》，頁 61。有學者指出，「方鼎的鑄造難度比圓鼎更大，
它所代表的社會等級也更高。尤其是體量較大的方鼎，幾乎成為王權的
HK$1,000,000-1,500,000 US$130,000-190,000 象徵」，同書，頁 60。至晚商時期，高級貴族對方器愈發推崇，出現了
包括方尊、方罍在內的一系列方器，作為其有別於一般貴族的權利和身
PROVENANCE 份標誌。
Littleton & Hennessy Oriental Art, London, 30 October 1998
同類方鼎可參照國立故宮博物院藏兩件亞醜方鼎（24.4 及 23.7 公分高），
Quadrilateral (fang) vessels had great significance for the Shang
and Zhou ruling elite, and are much rarer than their rounded-form 載於 1998 年台北出版《故宮商代青銅禮器圖錄》，頁 560-569，編號
counterparts. The first vessel type to be cast in square cross-section 96及97。亦可參照紐約佳士得2012年3月22日拍賣一例（22.2公分高），
is the ding, such as the massive early Shang fangding (100 cm. high) 拍品編號 1508。另參考一件足上無紋的方鼎，2017 年 5 月 31 日於香港
found in Duling, Zhengzhou city, illustrated in Shangyi yiyi sifang 佳士得拍賣，拍品 3109 號。
zhiji, Hefei, 2013, p. 61. According to scholars, ibid., p. 60, the casting
of fangding is more difficult than round ding, and massive fangding
vessels were reserved for nobility of the highest rank and symbolise
royal power.
Two very similar fangding bearing Yachou clan signs in the National
Palace Museum, Taipei, are illustrated in Shang Ritual Bronzes in the
National Palace Museum Collection, Taipei, 1998, pp. 560-69, nos. 96
and 97. An almost identical fangding sold at Christie’s New York, 22
March 2012, lot 1508. Another similar fangding but lacking the intaglio
decoration on the legs was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 31 May 2017,
lot 3109.

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