Page 145 - Sotheby's NYC September 20 2022 Forging An Empire Bronzes

Fig. 5 Portrait of King Cheng illustrated in Sun Chengen, Fig. 6 Portrait of Duke of Zhou illustrated in Sun Fig. 7 An inscribed bronze fang zun , Early Western Zhou dynasty
Jigu xiangzhan (Ancient portraits), Ming dynasty, Jiajing Chengen, Jigu xiangzhan (Ancient portraits), Ming © Palace Museum, Beijing
15th year edition (1537), p. 12 dynasty, Jiajing 15th year edition (1537), p. 13 圖七 西周初 青銅方尊 © 故宮博物院，北京
圖五 周成王像 錄於孙承恩，《集古像赞》，明嘉靖十五年 圖六 周公像 錄於孙承恩，《集古像赞》，明嘉靖十五年
刊本，頁12 刊本，頁13

It is very possible that Gong, as one of the Shang aristocrats, was granted the land of Yan. Chen Yingjie Related fang zun of this form with a long documentary inscription are extremely rare. Most of the
believes that Gong was the leader of the Huo clan (2009, p. 67). Gong appointed his family member, known examples have a much shorter inscription, and many are preserved in major museums
Jian Min, to supervise and manage this land and rewarded him for successfully completing the task. The around the world. Compare a similar bronze fang zun cast with a fifteen-character inscription, in the
inscription of the present fang zun has significant historical value as it provides invaluable insights into Palace Museum, Beijing, published in The Palace Museum, ed., Gugong qingtongqi / Bronzes in the
the lifestyle of the Shang people who lived under the Western Zhou dynasty. It documents an example of Palace Museum, Beijing, 1999, pl. 131 (fig. 7). See also the Rong Zi Zun, inscribed with six characters,
benevolence and tolerance towards residents from the previous dynasty during the reign of King Mu. The in the Hakutsuru Fine Art Museum, Kobe, illustrated in Shizuka Shirakawa, Hakutsuru eika [Selected
Shang noble class were not only able to keep their status and customs, but also had great autonomy, Masterpieces of the Hakutsuru Museum], Tokyo, 1978, pl. 10; the Ri Ji Fang Zun with a twenty-character
including controlling and managing lands and holding rituals for their Shang ancestors. inscription, excavated in Shaanxi in 1963, now in the Shaanxi History Museum, Xi’an, published in Zhang
Tianen, Shaanxi jinwen jicheng [Compendium of bronze inscriptions from Shaanxi], Xi’an, 2016, vol. 3,
no. 0314; and another, cast with a twelve-character inscription, in the Freer Gallery of Art, Washington,
此銘文中提及的「公」極有可能就是獲得了炎作為 我們從中可見穆王對於商朝貴族的懷柔政策。在其 D.C., published in John Alexander Pope et al., The Freer Chinese Bronzes, Washington, D.C., 1967, pl. 18.
封地的殷商貴族之一。陳英傑認為，公應為或族首 仁政之下，商朝貴族不但得以保存了其原有的氏族 The only auction example of this type appears to be a bronze fang zun, inscribed with seven characters,
領（2009年，頁67）。作為一族之長的公，任命族 身份和祭祀習俗，還可以在封地上享受很大程度的 offered in these rooms, 18th March 2008, lot 71.
中成員柬黽治理其封地，並於任務完成後對其進 自治，包括自行管理土地、進行賞賜以及祭祀自己
行賞賜。柬黽方尊的銘文為後人提供了研究西周 的祖先。
商遺民生活的寶貴線索，極具歷史及學術價值。
與此方尊形制相類且鑄有長銘的青銅器十分珍罕， 現存於西安陝西歷史博物館，載於張天恩，《陝西
大部分已知的近例銘文大都較短，而且多數典藏於 金文集成》，西安，2016年，卷3，編號0314。再
全球各大博物館之中。參考一方尊例，鑄十五字銘 有一例鑄十二字銘文，藏於華盛頓弗利爾美術館，
文，藏北京故宮博物院，載於故宮博物院編，《故 載於約翰•亞歷山大•波普等，《The Freer Chinese
宮青銅器》，北京，1999年，圖版131（圖七）。 Bronzes》，華盛頓，1967年，圖版18。近年唯一見
亦見榮子方尊，藏於神戶白鶴美術館，圖載於白靜 於拍賣的近例應是一件鑄七字銘文的青銅方尊，上
川編，《白鶴英華》，東京，1978年，圖版10。另 拍於紐約蘇富比2008年3月18日，編號71。
有日己方尊，鑄二十字銘文，1963年在陝西出土，

142 POWER / CONQUEST: THE FORGING OF EMPIRES