Page 23 - Christie's Fine Chinese Qianlong's Bronze Auction September 13, 2018

Fig. 5 Hong gui, early Western Zhou dynasty. The Shanghai Museum Collection. After Chen Peifen, Xia Shang
Zhou qingtongqi yanjiu (Research on Xia, Shang, and Zhou Bronze Vessels), Shanghai, 2004, vol. 4, pp. 84-85,
no. 231.
圖五 西周早期 妅簋 上海博物館藏

The Hong Gui 妅簋 in the collection of the Shanghai Museum is the vessel most 妅簋內底銘「妅作寳尊彜」，據種種跡象看來，
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closely akin to the present gui; in fact, the two vessels are exceptionally close 「妅」字應是人名，因為它既是這句公式化銘文的
in date, style, and general appearance. (Fig. 5) Dating to the early Western Zhou
頭一個字，而緊隨其後的「作」代表製作，可見此乃
period and standing on four clawed, rather than hoofed, zoomorphic legs, the 特為妅氏所鑄之重器。令人扼腕的是，史料中全無
Hong Gui claims a traditional gui form, with compressed globular bowl with a
「妅」的記載，所以其身世、生卒年及境遇俱無從
circular footring below and a lightly faring neck with thickened lip at the top. Its
midsection boasts a diamond-and-boss pattern, while the band around the neck 稽考。
sports a pattern of snakes 蛇紋 set against a leiwen 雷紋 ground; the footring is
本拍品來源顯赫，流傳有緒，在1749年以前即為乾
undecorated. Instead of simple loops, the handles of the Hong Gui have elephant
隆皇帝（1736至1795年間在位）所藏，並著錄於
heads at the top with descending trunks that curve elegantly outward at the end
《西清古鑑》，卷十四，頁7，繼而又於1887年前進
but that are anchored to the bottom of the bowl by a strut. The inscription on
入晚清著名收藏家吴大澂 (1835–1902)的愙齋並
the foor of the Hong Gui reads Hong zuo bao zun yi 妅作寳尊彜 and may be
translated “Hong made [this] precious vessel”. Based on the context, the frst 著錄於《愙齋集古錄》，卷7，頁11。在二十世紀，本
character, which is read “Hong” 妅, is believed to be a personal name—i.e., 拍品又一度為名家仇焱之收藏， 15,16 後納入趙氏山
based on its occurrence as the frst word in this formulaic inscription and on its 海樓青銅珍藏。 其亦曾於底特律和紐約展出，經
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placement immediately before the verb 作 zuo (made). Alas, so far as is known, 手此簋之重要中國藝術商行包括盧芹齋 (1880–
Hong is otherwise unrecorded, so Hong’s identity and life dates and circumstances
1957)、埃斯卡納齊以及 Michael Goedhuis等。
remain unknown.
作寶彜簋的外觀美不勝收，且鑄造者自出機杼，在
The present gui claims the most impeccable, the most impressive of pedigrees. By
傳統形制的基礎上添加四足。由此看來，此器確然
1749 it was in the Qing Imperial Collection, one of the bronzes collected by the
Qianlong Emperor 乾隆 (r. 1736–1795); it is published in his Xiqing gujian 西清 無愧為西周青銅藝術史的標竿之作。
古鉴, the forty-volume catalogue of the ancient bronzes in his collection (vol. 14,
p. 7). Renowned collector Wu Dacheng 吴大澂 (1835–1902) had acquired it prior
to 1887, and it is recorded in catalogue Kezhai Jigulu 愙齋集古錄 (vol. 7, p. 11), 毛瑞 (Robert D. Mowry)
which was published posthumously in 1918. In the twentieth century this gui
哈佛大學藝術博物館亞洲部榮譽主任暨
was owned by celebrated collector Edward T. Chow 仇焱之 15, 16 and subsequently
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by acclaimed collectors Bella and P.P. Chiu (趙氏山海樓所藏古代青銅器). 佳士得高級顧問
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