Page 23 - Bonhams Olivier Collection Early Chinese Art November 2018

The fanghu (Lot 12) is from the late Spring and Autumn The fanghu (Lot 12) from the late Spring and Autumn Period
period. It is related to another fanghu unearthed from pit (Eastern Zhou dynasty) is 68cm high. This is the height even
M251 in Jinsheng Village, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province (fig.7). The without the cover. If there was a cover, it would probably
difference is that the latter has a cover, but there are no beasts be about 75cm. Among the 372 bronze hu that we have
or animals on the foot . From the form of the belly and the analysed, only four have a height of more than 70cm, and only
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cross-pattern, we can tell that Ollivier’s fanghu is slightly later 10 pieces are more than 60cm . Therefore, in terms of height,
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than the vessel from Jinsheng. This bronze thus has a history this bronze is undoubtedly in the top ten. If we speak only
going back two thousand five hundred years. of those from the Spring and Autumn period that have been
handed down to us, it can enter the top three. In addition to
The unique qualities and charm of these seven bronzes can this, square hu are considered more valuable than the round
be seen from the following points. Firstly, from their height and hu. The former owner of this fanghu was at least an important
weight. The gu (Lot 18) is 31cm high and weighs 1,462g. Many Court Minister.
years ago, we had analysed data regarding bronze vessels.
Included were 208 bronzes passed down through generations of Moreover, there are many particularly rare types, such as the
collecting, of which 38 pieces had a height of more than 31cm. jiao (Lot 25). The jiao is similar to the jue and it was also used
From this we can see that this gu is in the top 40 tallest . The to contain wine, but much less. In our analysis we noted 74
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jia (Lot 21) is 35.5cm high and weighs 4,948g. According to jiao including those unearthed and passed down, but few were
statistics, the only comparable is a jia unearthed from Zhuangbai as beautiful as Olivier’s jiao . There are numerous bronze hu,
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village, which is 35cm high and 5,530g . Another jia of similar size but Olivier’s hu (Lot 33) with taotie pattern belongs to a rarer
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was unearthed at site M38, from Qianzhang Tomb in Tengzhou, category. This kind of hu with rounded belly and lug handles
Shandong Province, with a height of 35cm. Olivier’s jia is higher was popular in the late Shang dynasty, of which according to
than the ‘Hou’ jia excavated in 2013 from M111 in Yejiashan statistics, there are 67 .
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cemetery in Suizhou, Hubei Province, with a height of 33.5cm .
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The Hou Jia was used by the Marquises of the State of Zeng, Bronze jia were also popular in the Shang dynasty, but
whereas the ‘Zhe’ jia, unearthed in 1978, was used by senior Olivier’s jia (Lot 21) is from the early Western Zhou period.
aristocrats from the Western Zhou dynasty. Thus, it can be Considering that bronze jia are extremely rare, this is clearly
inferred that the owner of Ollivier’s jia belonged to the noble class. a precious item.

Fig.5 Fig.6 Fig.7

THE OLLIVIER COLLECTION OF EARLY CHINESE ART | 21