Page 42 - Fine Chinese Art Bonhams London May 2018

34 *
A VERY RARE ARCHAIC BRONZE WINE VESSEL AND COVER,
HE
Warring States Period
The compressed globular body decorated around the exterior with
stylised scrolling dragons on a dotted ground between two bands of
C-scrolls and whorl-patterns, issuing a mythical bird-shaped spout
with hinged beak, supported by three humanoid figures beneath birds
with outstretched wings and curled beaks, openwork overhead beast
handle linked to the flat cylindrical cover, fitted box.
25.5cm (10in) wide. (2).

£80,000 - 120,000
CNY710,000 - 1,100,000

戰國 青銅獸帶紋盉

Provenance:
T.T. Tsui, The Jingguantang Collection
Christie’s Hong Kong,The Jinggutang Collection: Magnificent Chinese
Works of Art, 3 November 1996, lot 597
An Asian private collection

來源：
徐展堂博士靜觀堂收藏
1996年11月3日於香港佳士得「徐展堂靜觀堂珍藏中國藝術精品」
專場拍賣，拍品597號
亞洲私人收藏

This vessel is unusual because of the hinged beak of the mythical
bird spout. Among the bronze he of the Western Zhou period, those
from southern sites are usually more elaborately ornamented with
zoomorphic motifs and complex flanged elements than their northern
counterparts. In the Eastern Zhou period, he from the south continue
to exhibit elaborate ornamentation. Compare with a he probably from
the south with similar bird-head spout, bail handle in feline form, the
legs also with birds standing on the shoulders of human figures, in the
Art Institute of Chicago (ac.no.1930.366), illustrated by J.So, Eastern
Zhou Ritual Bronzes from the Arthur M.Sackler Collections, New York,
1995, p.411, fig.84.3.

Compare with a related tripod wine vessel and cover with bird spout,
Warring States Period, illustrated by J.So, Ibid., pp.406, no.84. Another
related bronze he with bird-head spout and feline form handle, early
Warring States Period, is illustrated by W.Tao, Chinese Bronzes from
the Meiyintang Collection, London, 2009, pp.52-53, no.24. See also
another he, Warring States period, in Bronzes in the Palace Museum,
Beijing, 1999, pp.286-287, no.285. Further related examples of archaic
bronze tripod wine vessels, Warring States Period, are illustrated by
A.J.Koop, Early Chinese Bronzes, London, 1924, pp.39 and 105.
Another related vessel, Warring States, is illustrated by W.Perceval Yetts,
The Cull Chinese Bronzes, London, 1939, pl.XXII, no.17.

Illustration after Chongxiu Xuanhe bogu tu,
Song dynasty

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