Page 30 - Chinese works of art and paintings, March 19 Bonhams

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A FINELY CAST ARCHAIC BRONZE RITUAL WINE VESSEL, GU
Shang Dynasty, Anyang phase Provenance
The slender vessel cast at the flaring trumpet-form neck with four J.J Lally & Co., New York, 2008
blades each enclosing attenuated cicada forms with double eyes
forming dispersed taotie masks in raised relief above a fine leiwen Bronze gu were among the most important vessels used in state
ground and extending from an unusual horizontal band of raised eye- rituals of the late Shang dynasty. The blade motif at the neck of these
centered cusped quatrfoils, the central knop cast with descending slender vessels is an Anyang innovation, (R. Bagley, Shang Ritual
kuilong forming taotie masks bisected by raised knotched flanges Bronzes in the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, p. 229); the distended
separated from the lower band by paired relief ‘bowstring’ lines, the cicada form is shown in a gu published by J. J. Lally, Chinese Archaic
flanges repeated on the flared foot enhancing elaborate horizontal Bronzes. The Collection of Daniel Shapiro, 2014 no. 3, along with
kuilong with c-shaped horns and well-defined snouts, the surface the descending kuilong at the knob and base. The unusual cusped
displaying a brilliant emerald green patina with vivid malachite quatrefoil band below the flanges can be found on a gu published
encrustations on the exposed silvery gray surface. by Eskenazi, Ancient Chinese Bronzes from an English Private
12 1/4in (31.1cm) high Collection, no. 1, page 10. An impressive gu of similar size to our lot,
was sold at Christie’s, New York, 15 March 2015, lot 3178; another
$70,000 - 100,000 also offered at Christie’s, New York, 18 September 2014. See a
related bronze sold in our Hong Kong rooms 29 November 2016,
商代安陽時期 青銅觚 lot 28. A smaller inscribed example was sold in these rooms on 12
September 2016, lot 8012.

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