Page 168 - Bonhams, The H Collection, Classical Chinese Furniture, May 13, 2021 London

Bianhu vessels first appeared as in the Warring States period (457- 壺呈扁圓形，侈口，短頸，溜肩，長方形圈足。肩飾一對鋪首銜環
221 BC), when they formed an important part of religious and cultural 耳。腹部以赤銅作五層長方形格欄，兩側六層，格內飾細密繁縟羽翅
rituals aimed at presenting food and drink offerings to the ancestors 紋，紋飾層疊，繁而不亂。
of powerful families. At the time, various social and political changes
were bringing old rituals to an end. One such change was the 扁壺為酒器，約始見於戰國。一說其形制源於北方游牧民族盛水的
increasing presence in China of nomadic peoples, and it is likely that 皮囊，東周時期隨各民族文化交流而傳入中原。參見J.Rawson著，
the bianhu was inspired by practical vessels used for carrying water on 〈Ordering the Exotic: Ritual Practices in the Late Western and Early
horseback; see J.Rawson, ‘Ordering the Exotic: Ritual Practices in the Eastern Zhou〉，收錄於《Artibus Asiae》，卷73，第一刊，2013
Late Western and Early Eastern Zhou’, in Artibus Asiae, vol.73, no.1, 年，頁5-76。中國北方少數民族白狄族鮮虞部在今河北省境內建立古
2013, pp.5-76. 中山國，其戰國時期王陵中曾見一件扁壺，出土時仍有半壺酒液，
進一步佐證了此類扁壺的用途。見《戰國雄風——河北省中山國王
The intricate interlacing designs noted on the present vessel testify to 墓文物展》，香港，1999年，頁44，編號7。
a highly-developed method of mechanical production that appears
to have become the norm during the Eastern Zhou dynasty. At this 部分扁壺最初使用時或配以木製或陶製壺蓋，這些材料易腐易碎，
time, elaborate designs were produced using ‘pattern blocks’ made of 無法經歷漫長歲月而保存。如現藏於河南博物館、1975年於河南三門
clay, which were carved as the masters from which to impress strips 峽上村嶺出土一件青銅羽紋扁壺，形制紋飾皆似本例，且出土時同樣
of negative design to fill out the moulds. This method enabled the 無蓋。見《中國文物精華大辭典·青銅卷》，上海，1995年，頁241，
production of a large number of similarly-decorated vessels, probably 編號864。主體密集往復的浮雕裝飾，應使用模印法，即以印模在尚
intended to impress a socially-prominent audience. In a world of 未全乾的陶胎上連續印製鑄成，是戰國時期青銅紋飾的典型例證。
competing courts, conspicuous displays of every kind was the order
of the day. For example, the lavish content of the tomb of Marquis Yi 參考兩件極似本例的戰國時期青銅扁壺，分別藏於英國Compton
of Zeng, the ruler of a small state on the borders of the Chu kingdom, Verney莊園博物館，館藏編號CVCSC 0218.1-2.A；及阿姆斯特丹荷蘭
yielded spectacular wine hu containers, in addition to a magnificent set 國立博物館，收錄於《Asiatic Art in the Rijskmuseum Amsterdam》，
of sixty-five bronze bells; see Hubei Sheng Bowuguan, Zeng Hou Yi 阿姆斯特丹，1985年，頁38，編號10。
Mu, Beijing, 1989.
一例相似的戰國時期青銅扁壺，售於紐約佳士得，2011年3月24日，
A bronze bianhu, Warring States period, unearthed in 1977 from the 拍品編號1257，可資比對。
tomb of King Cuo of the Zhongshan state, contained an alcoholic
drink, further proving the function of this type of vessel at that time; see
Liu Jiansheng, Warring States Treasures- Cultural Relics from the State
of Zhongshan, Hebei Province, Hong Kong, 1999, p.44, no.7.

The lack of a lid on the present example may be explained because
many of these covers were originally made from perishable or fragile
materials, such as wood or pottery. See a bianhu and cover, Warring
States period, excavated in 1975 at Sanmenxia Shangcunling, Henan
Province, now in the Henan Provincial Museum, Zhengzhou, illustrated
in Zhongguo Wenwu Jinghua Dacidian, Qingtong juan, Shanghai,
1995, p.241, no.864.

Compare with two very similar bronze bianhu vessels, Warring
States period, late 4th-early 3rd century BC, in the Compton Verney
collection, Warwickshire, acc.no.CVCSC 0218.1-2.A, and the
example in Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, illustrated in Asiatic Art in the
Rijskmuseum Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1985, p.38, no.10.

A very similar copper-inlaid bronze ritual wine vessel, bianhu, Warring
States period, was sold at Christie’s New York, 24 March 2011, lot 1257.

166 | BONHAMS