Page 40 - Fine Chinese Art Bonhams London May 2018

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AN ARCHAIC BRONZE RITUAL WINE VESSEL, GU
AN ARCHAIC BRONZE MODEL OF A BUFFALO
Han Dynasty, possibly Sichuan Province Shang Dynasty 13th-11th century BC
Naturalistically cast standing four square, the domesticated horned Of slender form rising to an elegantly flared trumpet neck, cast to the
animal detailed with prominent ears and backbone leading to the mid-section with a pair of taotie masks detailed with raised eyes and
muscular haunch and curling tail, attached with a ring to the nasal, divided by notched flanges, the gently splayed foot decorated with
the surface covered overall with an attractive malachite incrustation. four stylised dragons reserved on a leiwen ground, all beneath two
36cm (14 1/8in) long bowstrings, the interior foot with a pictograph reading ‘Wei’.
27cm (10 5/8in) high.
£15,000 - 20,000
CNY130,000 - 180,000 £40,000 - 60,000
CNY360,000 - 540,000
漢 青銅水牛俑
商（公元前十三至十一世紀） 青銅饕餮紋觚
Provenance: Cultura Antiga Kuok Ngai, Macau, 18 October 1996
Cheng Huan S.C. Collection, Hong Kong Provenance: a Japanese private collection, prior to the 1980s

來源： 來源： 1980年代前為日本私人收藏
於1996年10月18日購自澳門古董商國藝古文化
香港清洪大律師收藏 Bronze gu were among the most important vessels used in state rituals
of the late Shang dynasty. Similar archaic gu vessels, Shang dynasty,
are illustrated by R.W.Bagley, Shang Ritual Bronzes in the Arthur
M.Sackler Collections, Cambridge MA, 1987, pp.216-227.

Compare with a related archaic bronze ritual wine vessel, gu, late
Shang dynasty, which was sold at Sotheby’s London, 9 November
2016, lot 106.

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