Page 60 - Sothebys Important Chinese Art London May 2018

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AN ARCHAIC BRONZE POURING VESSEL, YI Compare a similar yi, with a Þ ve-character inscription, in
WESTERN ZHOU DYNASTY the Shanghai Museum, Shanghai, published in Zhongguo
qingtongqi quanji, vol. 6, Beijing, 1998, pl. 147; one from
the boat-shaped vessel raised on four dragon-shaped scroll
the Bella and P.P. Chiu Collection, illustrated in Jessica
feet and with a curved U-shaped spout, the body cast with
Rawson, The Bella and P.P. Chiu Collection of Ancient
horizontal concave ribs with a wide band of zoomorphic
Chinese Bronzes, Hong Kong, 1988, pl. 31, and sold in these
S-shaped motifs below the rim, set to one side with a large
rooms, 7 June 2000, lot 12; one with inscriptions from the
th
mythical beast loop handle, the dark brown patina with areas
collection of Mrs Walter Sedgwick, illustrated in William
of malachite encrustation
Watson, Ancient Chinese Bronzes, London, 1962, pl. 49a;
37.4 cm, 14¾ in.
another excavated from a site of the state of Zeng in Jingshan
county, Hubei province, illustrated in Hubei jingshan faxian
PROVENANCE
zengguo tongqi [Bronze vessels of the Zeng state discovered
Collection of Alphonse Kann, Paris. (Collection number 365).
in Jingshan, Hubei], Wenwu [Cultural Relic], 1972, vol. 2,
Seized by the Nazis in October 1940.
pp. 51; and a Þ fth example, sold at Christie’s New York,
In deposit at the Jeu de Paume museum (ref. Ka 121). 22 /23 March 2012, lot 1511.
rd
nd
Transfered at Altaussee salt mine art center, Austria.
Restituted to owner in July 1947. £ 50,000-70,000
Collection of He’le’ne Kann-Bokanowski, Paris. HK$ 555,000-775,000 US$ 70,500-98,500
With the crisply moulded deep grooves covering the surface
which both echo and accentuate its form, this vessel is a
handsome example of yi produced in the late Western Zhou Гմ ڡზម
dynasty (c. 1046-771 BC). The boat-shape form together
Ը๕
with a U-shaped spout appears to have been derived from
"MQIPOTF ,BOOϗᔛd ˋኇ €ᇜ໮ 
earlier gong vessels, and remodelled with a deeper body and
four dragon-shaped scroll legs. Bronze yi was used together ׵ ϋ ˜஗ॶၘྮ՟d ܝπ׵ج਷਷ͭၣଢఙତ˾ߕஔ᎜€ᇜ໮
with water basins (pan) in ritual ceremonies for the cleansing ,B d ܝᔷ׵ෳήл "MUBVTTFF TBMU NJOF ᖵஔ᎜
of the hands. The robustness of the vessel provides an ϋ ˜ᓥᒔࡡ˴
attractive contrast with the well-deÞ ned zoomorphic band )F§MF§OF ,BOO #PLBOPXTLJ ϗᔛd ˋኇ
beneath the rim, along with the large mythical beast loop
handle.

Alphonse Kann at his desk, 1930.

58 SOTHEBY’S