Page 28 - Sotheby's Important Chinese Art, Sept. 21-22, 2-21, NYC

5
AN ARCHAIC BRONZE RITUAL WINE VESSEL (JUE) tuxiang jicheng [Compendium of inscriptions and images of
LATE SHANG DYNASTY bronzes from Shang and Zhou dynasties], vol. 1, Shanghai,
2012, no. 00255, respectively. See also a bronze gu in the
the deep U-shaped body rising from three splayed triangular Lüshun Museum, Dalian, published in Wu Zhenfeng, op. cit.,
blade legs to a pointed rim opposite a guttered spout flanked vol. 17, no. 09164. This clan name has been proposed by
by a pair of posts capped with conical finials, the exterior scholars as a character composed of the upper element of
cast with taotie masks with bulging eyes, divided by three qi 齊 and a lower radical tian 田. Alternative interpretations
crenelated vertical flanges, one side set with a loop handle of this pictogram suggest it to be zi (see Zhang Yachu, Yin
issuing from a bovine mask, enclosing a single-character Zhou jinwen jicheng yinde [Index of the compendium of Yin
inscription, the surface with malachite encrustation and Zhou bronze inscriptions], Beijing, 2001, p. 370) or yu
Height 8⅜ in., 21.3 cm 畬 (see Wang Benxing, Jinwen zidian [Dictionary of archaic
bronze inscriptions], Beijing, 2016, p. 226).
PROVENANCE
Collection of Barbara J. and Helen S. Myers. $ 30,000-50,000
Sotheby’s New York, 30th May 1990, lot 16.
Sotheby’s New York, 31st March-1st April 2005, lot 149.
商末 爵
LITERATURE 銘文：
Wang Tao and Liu Yu, A Selection of Early Chinese Bronzes
with Inscriptions from Sotheby’s and Christie’s Sales,
Shanghai, 2007, pl. 250.
Richard A. Pegg and Zhang Lidong, The MacLean Collection: 來源：
Chinese Ritual Bronzes, Chicago, 2010, pl. 8. Barbara J. 及 Helen S. Myers 收藏
Wu Zhenfeng, Shang Zhou qingtongqi mingwen ji tuxiang 紐約蘇富比1990年5月30日，編號16
jicheng [Compendium of inscriptions and images of bronzes 紐約蘇富比2005年3月31至4月1日，編號149
from Shang and Zhou dynasties], vol. 14, Shanghai, 2012,
no. 06440. 出版：
The present jue is inscribed with a very rare clan symbol. 汪濤及劉雨，《流散歐美殷周有銘青銅器集錄》，
Only a few examples with the same pictogram are known, 上海，2007年，圖版250
including a jue and a ding from the Palace Museum, Beijing, 彭銳查及張立東，《The MacLean Collection: Chinese
published in The Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy Ritual Bronzes》，芝加哥，2010年，圖版8
of Social Sciences, Yin Zhou jinwen jicheng [Compendium 吳鎮烽，《商周青銅器銘文暨圖像集成》，卷14，
of Yin and Zhou bronze inscriptions], Beijing, 2007, no.
07701 and Wu Zhenfeng, Shangzhou qingtongqi mingwen ji 上海，2012年，編號06440

24 SOTHEBY’S COMPLETE CATALOGUING AVAILABLE AT SOTHEBYS.COM/N10748 IMPORTANT ARCHAIC BRONZES FROM THE MACLEAN COLLECTION 25