Page 42 - Sotheby's Important Chinese Art, Sept. 21-22, 2-21, NYC

In Chinese Bronze Age culture, ding were the most ritually
在中國青銅文化中，鼎是重要的祭奠禮器，與王權及
significant among bronze ceremonial vessels, and the most 諸侯之身份地位息息相關。大部份商周時期青銅鼎為
closely associated with kingship and high rank. The vast 圓鼎，方鼎數量較少且製作受嚴格規範。傳說世上首
majority of Shang and Zhou dynasty ding were produced
with round bodies, and by contrast those with rectangular 尊方鼎由夏朝開國之君大禹鑄造，而從現今文物出土
bodies (fangding) were comparatively rare. According to 記錄來看還未有商代前的範例，不過二里頭及二里崗
legend, the first bronze fangding was cast by Yu the Great, 文化時期確有相類陶器例可尋。商周時期，青銅方鼎
founder of the Xia dynasty. Archaeological evidence has 用於祭祖及祭獻儀式，其所有者身份亦受嚴格規定。
yet to reveal pre-Shang bronze fangding; however, pottery 西周列鼎制度規定天子用九鼎，諸侯用七鼎，卿大夫
versions from the Erlitou and Erligang periods do survive. In
the Shang and Zhou dynasties, bronze fangding were used in 用五鼎，士用三鼎（李西興，《陝西青銅器》，1994
ancestral worship and other sacrificial ceremonies, and their 年，頁35）。由此可知，此方鼎之主人應為西周時期
ownership appears to have been strictly regulated. Li Xixing 上層階級，社會地位顯赫。
notes in The Shaanxi Bronzes, Xi’an, 1994, p. 35 that in the
Western Zhou dynasty, the gentry was allowed to acquire 此方鼎斷代西周初期，主要鑒於腹底平坦、足腹之
three ding, high officers five, dukes seven, and the king nine. 比例，以及器身上緣的鳳紋。可比另一相近紋飾的
This suggests that the present fangding would have originally
belonged to one of the most elite members of the Western 方鼎，現藏斯德哥爾摩東亞博物館，載於Bernard
Zhou nobility. Karlgren，〈Some Bronzes in the Museum of Far Eastern
This fangding is attributed to the early Western Zhou Antiquities〉，《Bulletin of the Museum of Far Eastern
dynasty based on its stylistic characteristics, most notably Antiquities》，編號21，1949年，圖版1。另一類例現
the flat base and proportions of the body to the legs, and 藏上海博物館，載於陳佩芬，《夏商周青銅器研究：
the avian-like features of the creatures in the top register of 西周篇 上》，上海，2004年，編號203。再有一例現
the sides. Other fangding cast in the same design, varying 藏東京出光美術館，收錄於杉村勇造，《出光美術館
only slightly in the contours of the taotie, include one in
the collection of the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, 選書·3：中國古銅器》， 東京，1966年，頁80-83，圖
Stockholm, published in Bernard Karlgren, ‘Some Bronzes 版3。一尊同風格方鼎曾售於紐約佳士得，2012年3月
in the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities’, Bulletin of the 22日，編號1508；另一例售於香港佳士得，2017年5
Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, no. 21, 1949, pl. 1; one 月30日，編號3109。
in the Shanghai Museum, Shanghai, illustrated in Chen
Peifen, Xia Shang Zhou qingtongqi yanjiu: Xi Zhou, Shang 再比一方鼎類例，曾屬Captain Dugald Malcolm收藏及
[Study of Bronzes from the Xia, Shang, and Zhou Dynasties:
Western Zhou, vol. 1], Shanghai, 2004, no. 203; and one in 趙氏山海樓舊藏，售於倫敦蘇富比2000年6月7日，編
the Idemitsu Museum, Tokyo, published in Sugimura Yuzo, 號1。另有兩例，鳳紋及扉棱更為繁複，其一現藏上
Idemitsu bijutsukan sensho, 3: Chugoku kodoki [Selected 海博物館，載於陳佩芬，同上，編號202；另一曾屬
works from the Idemitsu Museum, 3: Ancient Chinese Brenda Zara Seligman收藏，現藏大英博物館（藏品編
bronzes], Tokyo, 1966, pp 80-83, pl. 3. Fangding in this style 號1973,0726.3），收錄於William Watson，《Ancient
that have sold at auction include one sold at Christie’s New
York, 22nd March 2012, lot 1508; and one sold at Christie’s Chinese Bronzes》，拉特蘭，1962年，圖27a。
Hong Kong, 30th May 2017, lot 3109.
For another closely-related fangding, see an example
formerly in the collections of Captain Dugald Malcolm
and Bella and P. P. Chiu that sold most recently in our
London rooms, 7th June 2000, lot 1. See also two others
that have slightly more elaborate designs for the flanges
and birds: one in the Shanghai Museum, published in Chen
Peifen, op. cit., no. 202; the other formerly in the Brenda
Zara Seligman Collection and now in the British Museum
(acc. no. 1973,0726.3), published in William Watson, Ancient
Chinese Bronzes, Rutland, 1962, fig. 27a.
IMPORTANT ARCHAIC BRONZES FROM THE MACLEAN COLLECTION 39