Page 12 - March 17 2017 Chinese Art NYC, Christies

PROPERTY FROM A DISTINGUISHED COLLECTION Zhou Fagao, Sandai jijin wencun bu (Supplements to the Surviving Writings
from the Xia, Shang, and Zhou Dynasties), Taipei, 1980, no. 97 (inscription
1005 only).
Yan Yiping, Jinwen Zongji (Corpus of Bronze Inscriptions), Taipei, 1983, no.
A BRONZE RITUAL FOOD VESSEL, KANG GUI 2280 (inscription only).
EARLY WESTERN ZHOU DYNASTY, 11TH-10TH CENTURY BC Minao Hayashi, In Shu jidai seidoki no kenkyu (A Conspectus of Yin and Zhou
Bronze Vessels), vol. 1 (plates), Tokyo, 1984, pl. 109, gui no. 244.
The vessel is raised on a tall foot encircled by a band comprised of four Yinzhou jinwen jicheng (Compendium of Yin and Zhou Bronze Inscriptions),
dissolved taotie with raised, oblong eyes and centered on a narrow fange. The Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing,
The lower body is decorated with a diamond-and-boss band between narrow 1984, no. 3655 (inscription only).
borders of circles cast in thread relief, and the upper body with a band of ‘eyes’ Wu Zhenfeng, Shaanxi jinwen huibian (Corpus of Bronze Inscriptions from
alternating with squared scrolls centered on two sides by a small animal mask Shaanxi Province), Xian, 1989, vol. 2, p. 139 (inscription only).
cast in relief and interrupted on the other two sides by a pair of handles issuing J. Rawson, Western Zhou Ritual Bronzes from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections,
from horned dragon masks. Each is cast in linear intaglio on the top with the vol. IIB, The Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, Washington, D.C., 1990, pp. 390-5,
facial features and horns of the mask, on the sides with ears and fanged jaws no. 45.
above scale pattern, and on the front below the mask with a horned mask Wu Zhenfeng, Shangzhou qingtongqi mingwen ji tuxiang jicheng (Compendium
above a cicada. An eight-character inscription, reading ya gao kang zuo fu of Inscriptions and Images of Bronzes from the Shang and Zhou Dynasties),
gui zun yi, is crisply cast in the bottom of the interior. The patina is of mottled Shanghai, 2012, vol. 9, p. 266, no. 4511.
greyish-green color.
The inscription may be translated as “Kang from Ya Gao clan made this ritual
6¡ in. (16.3 cm.) diam., 9¿ in. (23.2 cm.) wide with handles vessel for father Gui.”

$100,000-150,000 Two similar, but larger gui (20.6 cm. diam. of mouth), have been illustrated
in articles reprinted in Chinese Bronzes: Selected articles from Orientations
PROVENANCE 1983-2000, Hong Kong. One that is also cast with an inscription in the
bottom of the interior, in the Klingenberg Collection in the Museum of East
Collection of Liu Xihai (1793-1853). Asian Art, Berlin, is illustrated by H. Butz, ‘Early Chinese Bronzes in the
Collection of Pan Zuyin (1830-1890). Collection of the Museum of East Asian Art’, p. 382 (fg. 10) and a rubbing
Frank Caro (successor to C. T. Loo), New York. (fg. 10a). The diamond-and-boss band is very similar, as is the upper band,
Arthur M. Sackler (1913-1987) Collections. although it is missing the relief animal heads on either side. The other, in the
Else Sackler (1913-2000) Collection, and thence by descent within the family. Seattle Art Museum, is illustrated by M. Knight, “Bronze in Chinese Culture
from the Shang to the Tang Dynasty’, p. 207 (fg. 5). The upper decorative
LITERATURE band and the band encircling the foot are the same on the Seattle and the
present gui, but the main diamond-and-boss band on the Seattle gui is wider,
Wu Shifen, Meigulu jinwen (The Records of Pursuing Antiquity: Archaic Bronze with fve rows of bosses as opposed to the three rows of the present and the
Inscriptions), 1895, vol. 2.1, p. 23 (inscription only). Museum of East Asian Art gui.
Liu Xihai, Changan huogu bian (The Records of Acquiring Antiquities in 西周早期 亢簋
Changan), 1905, vol. 1, p. 16.
Pan Zuyin, Pangulou yiqi kuanzhi (Ritual Bronze Inscriptions Compiled at the The present gui illustrated in Changan huogu bian (The Records of
Pangulou Studio), 1872, vol. 1, p. 26. Acquiring Antiquities in Changan), 1905, vol. 1, p. 16.
Wu Dacheng, Kezhai jigulu (The Records of Collecting Antiques by Kezhai
「Wu Dacheng」), 1896, vol. 12, p. 3 (inscription only).
Zhu Shanqi, Jingwuxinshi yiqi kuanzhi (Ritual Bronze Inscriptions Compiled at
the Jingwuxinshi Studio), 1908, vol. 2, p. 37 (inscription only).
Sheng Yu, Yuhuage jinwen, (Archaic Bronze Inscriptions in the Yuhuage
Studio), manuscript in the Beijing University Library, p. 172 (inscription only).
Luo Zhenyu, Yinwencun (Surviving Writings from the Yin Dynasty), 1917, vol. 1,
p. 18 (inscription only).
Luo Zhenyu, Sandai jijin wencun (Surviving Writings from the Xia, Shang, and
Zhou Dynasties), 1937, vol. 6, p. 39 (inscription only).
Liu Tizhi, Xiaojiaojinge jinwen taben (Rubbings of Archaic Bronze Inscriptions
at the Xiaojiaojingge Studio), 1935, vol. 7, p. 71 (inscription only).
Ma Xulun, Du jinqi keci (Readings of Bronze Inscriptions), Beijing, 1962, p. 122
(inscription only).
R. Poor, Bronze Ritual Vessels of Ancient China (Slide Lectures), Intercultural
Arts Press, New York, 1968.
Chen Mengjia, Yin Zhou qingtongqi fenlei tulu (In Shu seidoki bunrui zuroku; A
Corpus of Chinese Bronzes in American Collections), 1977, A174, R97.
Zhou Fagao et al., Sandai jijin wencun zhulubiao (Tabulation of the Publications
of Bronzes in Sandai jijin wencun), Taipei, 1977, no. 447 (inscription only).
Noel Barnard and Cheung Kwong-Yue, Rubbings and Hand Copies of Bronze
Inscriptions in Chinese, Japanese, European, American, and Australasian
Collections, Taipei, 1978, no. 599 (inscription only).

(inscription)

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