Page 58 - Bonhams Olivier Collection Early Chinese Art November 2018

This exceptional pair of large bronze vessels and covers would 鈁，屬於酒器，作儲存酒類之用，自戰國中期至後期始開始盛行於陝
have served as wine containers. This type of square wine vessel, 西及河南地區。自東周以降，青銅器皿逐漸由祭祀儀式中所用的禮器
particularly known as fang (鈁), decorated with geometric motifs, 轉變為生活器具，作為炫耀身份地位及財富的途徑。此對銅鈁器身飾
was popular during the middle to late Warring States period, and 以繁複的幾何紋，鬼斧神工，充分反映戰國時代工匠之精湛技藝以及
was widely found in the Shaanxi and Henan regions. 創新風格。北京故宮博物院所藏一件類似的漢代銅壺，其底部鑄有
「樂未央、宜酒食、長久富」九字銘文，作為此一過渡之明證，詳見
Beginning in the Eastern Zhou period, bronze wine vessels such 《故宮博物院藏文物珍品全集：青銅生活器》，香港，2006年，頁62
as the present lot changed from being solely solemn ritual objects 至63，編號54。
into superb luxury products that exhibited their owner’s wealth and
status. The inlay on this pair of vessels was meticulously executed 1930年代以降，若干銅鑲嵌鈁自考古發掘中出土，其中大多為戰國
to form stylised clouds and geometric patterns, demonstrating 中後期器物。1929年於洛陽金村出土數例，載於W.C.White著，《洛
exceptional craftsmanship and sophisticated and creative designs 陽古城古墓考（Tombs of Old Lo-yang）》，上海，1934年。另一類
which reflected the fashion of the time. Underscoring this transition in 似銅鈁，由美國費城賓夕凡尼亞大學博物館所藏，紋飾風格與本拍
bronze vessels as moving away from solemn ritual objects to objects 品相近，器足銘文記載此器為齊國將軍陳章（又名匡章）於公元前
of conspicuous consumption, is a hu from the Palace Museum, 314年伐燕後，由燕國（今河北）帶返齊國，惜原配銅蓋已經佚失，
Beijing, Han dynasty which is cast in relief on its base with a nine- 載於W.Watson著，《Art of Dynastic China（古代中國藝術）》，倫
character inscription in seal script reading, ‘happiness comes with 敦，1981年，圖633。
drinking wine and eating’; see The Complete Collection of Treasures
of the Palace Museum: Bronze Articles for Daily Use, Hong Kong, 倫敦大英博物館亦藏有一對相近例子，約為公元前600至200年所鑄，
2006, pp.62-63, no.54. 原配銅蓋亦已佚失。而1964年陝西省西安市蓮湖區南小巷曾出土一
件相關例子，現由西安博物館所藏，載於《Age of Empires: Art of the
Inlaid fang hu have been unearthed since the 1930s, most of which Qin and Han Dynasties（帝國時代：秦漢藝術）》，紐約，2017年，
were dated to the middle or late Warring States period. See several 頁140，編號66。
examples excavated from Jincun, Luoyang in 1929, illustrated by
W.C.White, Tombs of Old Lo-yang, Shanghai, 1934. Compare also with
another fang hu with similar design but without a cover, which confirms
from its inscription that it was taken by the Qi general Chen Zhang from
Yan region (today’s Hebei Province) to the Shangdong peninsula in 314
BC, now in the Penn Museum, Philadelphia (acc.no.C243), illustrated by
W.Watson, Art of Dynastic China, London, 1981, pl.633.

A similar pair of fang hu, 600-200 BC, but without covers, is in the
British Museum. See also a related bronze fang hu, Western Han
dynasty, unearthed in 1964, Nanxiaoxiang, Lianhu, Shaanxi Province,
in the Xi’an Museum, illustrated in Age of Empires: Art of the Qin and
Han Dynasties, New York, 2017, p.140, no.66.

Image courtesy of the Penn Museum,
Philadelphia

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