Page 22 - Bonhams Olivier Collection Early Chinese Art November 2018

THE OLLIVIER COLLECTION:
CHINESE ARCHAIC BRONZES

ZHANG MAORONG

Mr. Ollivier is an important European collector and the early phase of the Yinxu period (1101-1046 BC) . The hu could be
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Chinese bronzes in his collection are particularly representative as early as the second phase of the Yinxu period (1250-1191
of early dynastic China. I have specifically chosen to analyse, BC) and is related to a vessel unearthed from Lady Fu Hao’s
classify and examine seven bronze vessels from the collection tomb in Anyang dated to the first half of the 12th century BC 3
as a means of raising appreciation for those interested in early (fig.3). All together, these three bronzes have a history of more
ritual bronzes. than three thousand years.

The age of these seven bronze vessels is relatively early, The jia (Lot 21), the you (Lot 15), and the gui (Lot 23) are
belonging to the late Shang dynasty, the early Western Zhou artefacts of the early Western Zhou dynasty.
dynasty and the late Spring and Autumn period. Altogether,
they encapsulate the most glorious period of Chinese bronzes. The jia is similar to another ‘Zhe’ jia (fig.4) unearthed in 1978
The late Shang dynasty to the early Western Zhou dynasty in Shaanxi, from pit 1 in Zhuangbai village, Fufeng County, but
was the first peak in the history of Chinese bronze ware; while is not as thick and heavy; the foot is also a bit more slender .
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the late Spring and Autumn to the early Warring States period From this we know that the jia unearthed in Zhuangbai village
represents the second peak. One could say that these seven is earlier. The unearthed jia is from the Zhaowang period (circa
bronzes spanning this entire period reflect the splendour of 995-977 BC), whereas Olivier’s jia is from the Kangzhao period
ancient Chinese culture. (11th-10th century BC). The you is related to another you (fig.5)
unearthed in Qu village, Quwo Tianma, Shanxi Province, from
The gu (Lot 18), the jiao (Lot 25), and the hu (Lot 33) are the latter part of the early Western Zhou dynasty . Olivier’s you
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objects from the late Shang dynasty. Among them, the gu is is also roughly from the Kangzhao period. The gui (Lot 23) is
similar to another vessel unearthed from site M269 in Qijia related to another gui unearthed from pit M4 in Zhuyuangou,
Zhuang, Anyang, Henan Province (fig.1) and is representative Baoji, Shaanxi Province (fig.6) . The owner of tomb M4 was
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of the third phase of the Yinxu period (1191-1102 BC) . The active from the late Kangwang period (ca. 1020-996 BC) to
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jiao is related to another jiao vessel which was unearthed from the late Zhaowang period (circa 995-977 BC), so with regards
site M120 of the Shang/Zhou tombs in Qianzhang Village, to Ollivier’s gui, it is probably earlier from the Kangzhao. These
Tengzhou, Shandong Province (fig.2) and represents the fourth three bronzes have a history of three thousand years.

Fig.1 Fig.2 Fig.3 Fig.4

20 | BONHAMS