Page 16 - Sotheby's Part I Collection of Sir Joeseph Hotung Collection CHINESE ART , Oct. 9, 2022

109
ဏ ზ A GILT AND SILVERED BRONZE ‘ANIMAL’ VESSEL AND
⺗ COVER, ZUN,
ږ HAN DYNASTY

ვ the cylindrical body decorated with a main frieze enclosing an undulating silvered cloud scroll, amid the scrolls with finely rendered
ޕ animals, such as a pheasant, a leaping deer, a pouncing bear and other mythical creatures, all below a silvered chevron band, the vessel
ᓳ flanked by a pair of mask handles suspending loose rings, supported on three crouching bears as feet, the slightly domed cover with
two concave bands forming three concentric rings, each ring similarly decorated with a variety of animals amid meandering scrolls, the
७ cover set with three bird-shaped finials and a small loop knob on a quatrefoil design in relief, the base with additional silvered scrolls
overall h. 17.8 cm, d. 18.5 cm
቗
࠯ PROVENANCE Ը๕j
R.H. Ellsworth Ltd, New York, 21st December 1987.
მ EXHIBITED τܠჃdॲߒd1987ϋ12˜21˚
࢝ᚎj
ᐑ Ancient Chinese and Ordos Bronzes, Oriental Ceramic Society of ڡზၳߵjʕ਷̚˾ၾඈဧε౶ڡზኜ‘d࠰ಥ؇˙ௗନኪ

ႊ Hong Kong, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1990. ึd࠰ಥᖵஔ᎜d࠰ಥd1990ϋ
LITERATURE
ው Jessica Rawson and Emma C. Bunker, Ancient Chinese and Ordos ̈وj
Bronzes, Hong Kong, 1990, cat. no. 43. ᖯಌʿฌီgႷࣸdڡზၳߵjʕ਷̚˾ၾඈဧε౶ڡზኜ‘
d࠰ಥd1990ϋdᇜ໮43
HK$ 400,000-600,000
US$ 51,000-76,500

Cylindrical vessels of this form were based upon lacquerwares from form of the Dachuan vessel "is typical of Chu lacquers and quite
the late Warring States to the early Han dynasty. The raised borders new to the Yellow river area" and it bears features borrowed from
circulating the rims imitate the metal bands used to reinforce the different areas. Stylistically inspired by the animal motifs in Mongolia
lacquer vessels. Zoomorphic feet and handles can also be traced and southern Siberia, the creatures are employed "to express beliefs
back to lacquerware. derived from the south, and especially from Chu, but also from the
state of Qi to the east" (p. 292). On the present vessel, while the
A set of Western Han dynasty lacquer vessels with gold-foiled animals are derived from ordos tradition, the scrolling clouds recall
figures and animals surrounded by clouds was excavated from the flowing lines of Chu lacquer painting.
Hanjiang in Yangzhou, Jiangsu, now preserved at the Yangzhou
Museum, and published on the museum website. The set includes a A slightly taller covered vessel of this form, surmounted with a
cylindrical vessel ornated with silver bands and a fitted cover similarly phoenix knop among three further birds, parcelled-gilt and silvered
adorned with a flower motif at the centre. with two tiers of animals amidst clouds around the sides, was included
in the exhibition Ancient Chinese Bronzes of Han Dynasties (202B.C.-
A larger gilt-bronze zun of this form but cast with an animal design 220A.D.), Tenri University Sankokan Museum, Nara, 1990, illustrated
in relief was excavated from Dachuan in Shanxi and is now in on the cover. Compare also a white stone vessel of this form but
the Shanxi Museum, Taiyuan (Jessica Rawson, 'Commanding without a from the tomb of Liu Hong (d. 306), Huangshantou,
the Spirits: Control Through Bronze and Jade', Chinese Bronzes: Hunan, attributed to the Eastern Han period, carved with two friezes
Selected Articles from Orientations 1983-2000, Hong Kong, 2001, of mythical animals among clouds, including a lunging bear similar to
pp. 288-300, fig. 7). Rawson suggests that it was probably made for that of the present vessel (Rawson, op.cit., fig. 17 and 17a).
a member of the Western Han court. She observes that the circular

30 I FOR COMPLETE CATALOGUING ༉းྡ፽ʫ࢙ሗᓭᚎ SOTHEBYS.COM/HK1293 THE PERSONAL COLLECTION OF THE LATE SIR JOSEPH HOTUNG I 31