Page 102 - 2020 Sept Important Chinese Art Sotheby's NYC Asia Week

9/2/2020 Important Chinese Art | Sotheby's

Literature
Liu Tizhi, Xiaojiaojingge jinwen taben [Rubbings of archaic bronze inscriptions in the Xiaojiaojingge], vol. 7, 1935, p. 28.
Luo Zhenyu, Sandai jijin wencun [Surviving writings from the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties], vol. 6, 1937, p. 33.
Chen Mengjia, Meidiguozhuyi jielue de woguo Yin Zhou tongqi jilu [Compilation of Yin and Zhou archaic bronzes in America],
Beijing, 1962, no. A189.
Zhou Fagao, Sandai jijin wencun bu [Supplements of surviving writings from the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties] Taipei, 1980, no.
297.
Yan Yiping, Jinwen Zongji [Corpus of bronze inscriptions], Taipei, 1983, no. 2158.
Wang Xiantang, Guoshi jinshizhi gao [Manuscript of archaic bronze in Chinese history], Qingdao, 2004, no. 1523.1.
Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, ed., Yinzhou jinwen jicheng [Compendium of Yin and Zhou bronze
inscriptions], Beijing, 2007, no. 03510.
Wu Zhenfeng, Shangzhou qingtongqi mingwen ji tuxiang jicheng [Compendium of inscriptions and images of bronzes from the
Shang and Zhou dynasties], vol. 9, Shanghai, 2012, no. 04287.

出版
劉體智，《小校經閣金文拓本》，卷7，1935年，頁28
羅振玉，《三代吉金文存》，卷6，1937年，頁33
陳夢家，《美帝國主義劫掠的我國殷周銅器集錄》，北京，1962年，編號A189
周法高，《三代吉金文存補》，台北，1980年，編號297
嚴一萍，《金文總集》，台北，1983年，編號2158
王獻唐，《國史金石志稿》，青島，2004年，編號1523.1
中國社會科學院考古研究所編，《殷周金文集成》，北京，2007年，編號03510
吳鎮烽，《商周青銅器銘文暨圖像集成》，卷9，上海，2012年，編號04287

Catalogue Note
Exuberantly cast under the rim with confronted birds, their long curly tails raised against a ground of tight spirals (leiwen),
this gui is representative of bronze casting in the middle Western Zhou period. A transitional phase that saw the establishment of a
more distinct Zhou bronze style, vessels from this period often feature extravagant and elaborate designs of birds, whose
prominence indicates their increasing popularity. While birds first made their appearance on bronze vessels in the Erligang phase
of the early Shang dynasty (c. 1600-c.1046 BC), the four birds on this piece have long, sinuous, curling tails inspired by images of
dragons.

This piece bears a six-character inscription, zuo fu Yi bao gui Shen, that may be translated as “This precious gui was bestowed to
father Yi by Shen”. A gui of smaller size, but closely related in design and with the same inscription is illustrated in Wu
Zhenfeng, Shangzhou qingtongqi mingwen ji tuxiang jicheng [Compendium of inscriptions and images of bronzes from the Shang
and Zhou dynasties], vol. 9, Shanghai, 2012, no. 4288, together with another gui of similar design and the inscription written in a
similar style, no. 4273.

A related gui unearthed from Xi’an, Shaanxi province, now in the National Museum of China, Beijing, is illustrated in Zhongguo
qingtongqi quanji[Complete collection of Chinese archaic bronzes], vol. 5, Beijing, 1996, pl. 61; another from the collection of T.
Yamamoto, is published in Sueji Umehara, Nihon Schūcho Shina kodō Seikwa/ Selected Relics of Ancient Chinese Bronzes from
Collections in Japan, vol. 2, Osaka, 1960, pl. 107; and a pair of gui, from the collection of Paulette Goddard Remarque, was sold in

our London rooms, 13th December 1977, lot 214.
Gui were used during ritual ceremonies for storing cooked rice or millet. While this vessel shape first appeared in the Erligang
phase, they were not widely produced and examples from this period are rare. This form increased in popularity from the early
Western Zhou dynasty, and numerous variations of the original shape also began to appear. The present vessel, with its rounded
body, everted rim and animal-head handles represents the most popular form.

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