Page 164 - March 22 2022 Bonhams

PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF
DRS. EDMUND AND JULIE LEWIS
211
AN ARCHAISTIC INLAID BRONZE VESSEL, DUI
Ming dynasty
The half-spherical body supported on three square ring-and-cabriole Dating of revival style bronzes is always challenging because few
legs inlaid with lines of malachite, a pair of comma-shaped handles datable examples have survived. Several inlaid bronze dui of this
at the shoulders similarly decorated, the vessel divided by two design exists in museum collections and private hands. Compare the
narrow bands of scrollwork inlaid in copper wire framing a band of very similar inlaid bronze dui and cover from the Brundage Collection
‘confronting birds’ motif inlaid with malachite, below a band of large now in the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, accession number
triangle panels alternating silver and malachite inlays, the underside B60B11+, attributed to Song dynasty; another very similar dui and
decorated with a medallion of four spiral scrolls inlaid with malachite, cover in the Shanghai Museum, published by Wang in the catalogue
a line of seven-character inscription incised on the stepped lip rim, of the exhibition, Mirroring China’s Past: Emperors, Scholars, and
fitted with a later wood cover with jade ‘duck and lotus’ knob. Their Bronzes, Chicago, 2018, p. 56, no. 20, attributing to the
6 3/8in (16.2cm) high; 11 1/2in (29.3cm) length over handles Warring States period; a slightly smaller inlaid dui and cover from
the Freer Collection and now in the National Museum of Asian Art,
$8,000 - 12,000 Washington D.C., illustrated by Pope, Gettins, Cahill and Barnard,
The Freer Bronzes, Volume I, Washington, 1967, pp. 574-576, pl.
107, described as “recent” and noting by the authors “The more
明 仿古鑲銀鑲紅銅嵌孔雀石銅敦暨七字銘文 後配玉鈕木蓋
rigidly compartmentalized and static designs on the Freer and
Brundage tui agree rather with those on inlaid vessels commonly
Inlaid bronze vessels of this form appeared as early as the Eastern ascribed (although without positive evidence) to the Sung period.”
Zhou period. While closely following the form and proportion of the Another very similar inlaid bronze dui with later fitted metal cover was
ancient example, the present lot’s workmanship and design is more offered at Sotheby’s New York, 20 March 2019, lot 671, attributed to
rigid and clean. Compare the Warring States bronze dui inlaid with Ming dynasty.
gold and silver in the Winthrop Collection and now in the Harvard Art
Museums, illustrated by So, Eastern Zhou Ritual Bronzes from the
Arthur M. Sackler Collections, New York, 1995, p. 201, fig. 29.8.

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