Page 332 - Bonhams Chinese Art London May 2013

300
A fine gilt-inlaid bronze archaistic bird and
vase vessel, zun
18th century
Superbly cast and inlaid with gilt as an archaistic
crested bird with a band across its breast
containing stylised flowers leading around to
the wings formed from a coiled decorative
band in front of three further rows suggesting
feathers, the crested tail curving underneath the
body to support the weight of the bird and the
claws clutching an axle supported on two large
wheels decorated with archaistic scrolls, the bird
supporting on its back a separately-cast flaring
archaistic gu vase with three monkeys crouching
around its base.
40cm (15¾in) high (2).
£15,000 - 20,000
HK$180,000 - 240,000
CNY140,000 - 190,000
十八世紀 銅嵌金三猴鈕天雞尊
Provenance: an English private collection
來源：英國私人收藏
The form of the bird vessel is very ancient,
dating back to archaic ritual vessels, however the
form of the present lot represents a significant
development, particularly in the addition of the
wheels and the three monkey figures placed
around the flaring vase. Examples of this form of
bird vase mounted on wheels are very rare, but
one can be seen in the collection of the National
Palace Museum, Taipei, no.000434N, dated
to the late Ming dynasty. The presence of the
monkeys around the vase is also very unusual.
The monkey 猴hou is a pun for a marquis 侯
hou, again suggesting that this vase may have
been intended for a high-ranking court official.
In addition, the presence of a monkey recalls
the famous Chinese myth of the Monkey King,
popularised in the Ming Dynasty novel Journey to
the West.
The present lot is further distinguishable by its
substantial weight, size, liberally splashed gold
and extremely high quality of workmanship, all
of which suggest a later date at the height of
Qing Dynasty production in the 18th century.
Indeed the piece can be compared to a drawing
the Xiqing Gujian catalogue illustrated by R.Kerr,
Later Chinese Bronzes, London, 1990, p.77. This
40-volume catalogue of Chinese ritual bronzes
in the collection of the Qianlong Emperor was
compiled between 1749 and 1755, and illustrates
the Imperial style of the present lot.
It is also interesting to note the popularity of the
bird vessel form in other media, most notably
jade. See for example a 12.3cm high spinach
jade vase on a bird inscribed with a Qianlong
mark and dated to the Qing Dynasty, illustrated
in Compendium of Collections in the Palace
Museum: Jade 8: Qing Dynasty, Beijing, 2011,
no.184, and another larger example in celadon
jade with closely related treatment of the bird’s
head, wings and curving tail, but without wheels,
dated to the late Qing Dynasty, illustrated
in Compendium of Collections in the Palace
Museum: Jade 10: Qing Dynasty, Beijing, 2011,
no.55.

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