Page 136 - Bonhams, The H Collection, Classical Chinese Furniture, May 13, 2021 London

36
A RARE ARCHAIC BRONZE RITUAL WINE VESSEL AND
COVER, HU
Late Spring and Autumn Period, late 6th-5th century BC
The slender pear-shaped body rising from a spreading foot, crisply
cast in relief with four bands of S-scrolls with curled tips within plain
borders, all below a band of upright flat-cast blades around the
tall waisted neck, the shoulders set with a pair of taotie-mask loop
handles suspending loose rings, each ring with a chain to a dragon-
shaped handle, all under a light green encrustation.
36cm (14 1/8in) high. (2).
£15,000 - 20,000
CNY140,000 - 180,000
春秋晚期，公元前六至五世紀晚期 青銅羽翅紋提梁鏈壺

Provenance:
An important European private collection

來源：
歐洲重要私人收藏

According to the ‘Rites of Zhou’ Zhou Li, hu ritual vessels such as the 長頸，口微侈，球形腹，圈足。蓋呈穹頂，上有雙環。肩部一對獸頭
present lot were used as wine containers during the performance of 鋪首耳，上銜鍊和提梁。提梁扁圓，兩端飾獸首，與銅環套接而成的
sacrificial ceremonies in Bronze Age China. 鏈相連。頸飾卷雲紋，肩上一周蕉葉蟬紋，腹飾四周羽翅紋。

Wine vessels were cast in a variety of designs. Vessels like the present 壺為酒器，形如本例的提梁鏈壺在中國中部及南部，包括河南、河
example, set on a low ring foot patterned to resemble a twisted rope, 北、山東、廣東等省份，皆有發現。考古出土的提梁鏈壺，提鏈大多
with the lid attached to a long chain handle and four movable rings 穿過蓋頂銜環，使器蓋和器身連在一起，使用時不至缺失。參見汪濤
at the neck, have been mainly excavated from central and southern 著，《玫茵堂藏中國銅器》，倫敦，2009年， 頁96；及蘇芳淑著，
Chinese provinces including Henan, Hebei, Shandong, and Guangdong 《Eastern Zhou Ritual Bronzes in the Arthur M. Sackler Collections》，
Province. These excavations have shown that actual ropes were passed 卷三，紐約，1995年，頁250。
between the rings around the neck and the corresponding ones on the
lid, to hold the lid firmly in place while the vessel was being carried; see 比較一例山東曲阜出土公元前四世紀青銅提梁鏈壺，形制類似本例，
Wang Tao, Chinese Bronzes from the Meyingtang Collection, London, 惟無紋飾，收錄於蘇芳淑著，《Eastern Zhou Ritual Bronzes in the
2009, p.96; and J.So, Eastern Zhou Ritual Bronzes from the Arthur Arthur M. Sackler Collections》，卷三，紐約，1995年，頁277，圖版
Sackler Collections, New York, 1995, vol.3, p.250. 49.2。另有一例湖北江陵雨台山出土公元前四至三世紀提梁鏈壺，
下腹另有四隻鋪首銜環耳，出處同上，頁287，圖版51.3。
Compare with a related bronze hu vessel and cover, 4th century BC, of
similar form and proportions but with an undecorated body, excavated 一件春秋晚期，公元前六至五世紀晚期青銅提梁鏈壺，售於紐約佳士
from Qufu Xian M3 site in Shandong Province, illustrated by J.So, 得，2014年3月21日，拍品編號2023，可資比對。
Eastern Zhou Ritual Bronzes from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections,
New York, 1995, vol.3 p.277, fig.49.2. See also another bronze hu
vessel and cover, 4th-3rd century BC, with flat-cast decorative bands
and taotie-mask loose ring handles on the lower body, excavated in
Jiangling Yutaishan, Hubei Province, illustrated in Ibid., p.287, fig.51.3.

A very similar bronze ritual wine vessel and cover, hu, late Spring and
Autumn period, late 6th-5th century BC, was sold at Christie’s New
York, 21 March 2014, lot 2023.

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot
134 | BONHAMS please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.