Page 117 - Fine Chinese, Japanese and Buddhist Art September 28, 2018 Galerie Zacke

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A VERY LARGE AND IMPRESSIVE
ARCHAISTIC BRONZE PEAR-SHAPED
VASE, HU
Massively cast bronze with décor in deep and
high relief, movable bronze rings suspended
on two looped handles, rich and dark patina
China, Ming dynasty
Rising from a splayed foot to a globular
lower body and a gently splayed, tall, wide
mouth above the dramatic taotie mythical
beast-and-loop handles at the shoulders,
the pear-shaped vessel cast with multiple
registers of decoration, including taotie and
leiwen-filled lappet medallions at the lower
body, two central bands of abstract sinuous
motifs, taotie bands and bird motifs on leiwen
ground. The leiwen still remarkably crisp!
The Song Dynasty saw a revival in the
appreciation of the austere shapes and
decorative motifs of ritual vessels of the Shang
and Zhou periods. From the Song Dynasty
onwards, bronze and ceramic vessels inspired
by archaic bronzes, but sometimes enriched
with contemporary decorative elements, were
produced for ritual and domestic use alike.
Several vases comparable in shape and
decoration to the present lot are illustrated
by R. Kerr, Later Chinese Bronzes, London,
1990, plates 31-38, where mostly dated to the
Song or Yuan Dynasties. In the same volume,
however, Kerr remarks that the decorative
bands on bronze vessels would be applied
separately to a core unit before casting, thus
belonging to a repertory of standard patterns
that could also be reproduced on later
artefacts, such as the present lot. 109 110
AN ARCHAISTIC BRONZE VASE, GU, YUAN DYNASTY AN ARCHAISTIC BRONZE VASE, HU, QING DYNASTY
Shape: Hu Massively cast bronze with décor in crisp relief, the surface patinated to a Massively cast, with gilded areas, good patina
th
Weight: 10 kilograms warm variegated brown tone China, 18 -19 century
th
th
th
Dimensions: Height 61,5 cm China, 13 -14 century
Condition: Traces of wear and use as expected The hu shaped bronze vase with a central band of raised taotie on leiwen
on a bronze of this age, two repairs to base Of archaistic gu form, the square body robustly cast with a short, tapered ground, interrupted by two vertical flanges, above which are two rings
and neck, the base re-attached, overall still central section, widely flaring to a trumpet mouth, all supported on a suspended by handles with further taotie masks on top. All below a
good condition an spectacular appearance splayed foot. The upper section bordered with four archaistic cicada band of confronted archaistic pairs of phoenixes on a leiwen ground, and
Provenance: German diplomats private blades, below a key fret band, with a set of three massive flanges to above a border with six archaistic cicada blades.
collection, acquired in China prior to 1970 each corner. The central section decorated with archaistic reliefs against
a leiwen ground and set with a pair of flanges on each corner. The foot Shape: Hu
Literature comparison: R. Kerr, Later Chinese cast in relief with two pairs of stylized, confronting kui dragons against a Weight: 3,1 kilograms
Bronzes, London, 1990, plates 31-38. leiwen ground, interrupted by another trio of raised flanges. Dimensions: Height 29 cm
Condition: The base is restored. Otherwise good condition with minor
Auction result comparison: ASIAN ART. Shape: Gu wear and traces of use
Bonham’s, London, 3 Nov 2014, lot 252. (for Weight: 2366 grams Provenance: The Eckhart Muthesius private collection, Berlin, 1904-1989
a similar Hu) Dimensions: Height 30,5 cm
Condition: Superb condition with only minor traces of wear Auction result comparison: CHINESE ART, Sotheby’s, 10 NOVEMBER
㖶ẋ⣏✳ầ⎌戭揬暁俛⢢ Provenance: South German private collection, in the family since the 1950ies 2017, LONDON, lot 378. (for a related hu)
⣏✳戭揬炻⢢幓檀㴖晽炻⎗㳣≽䘬暁俛炻寸⭴䘬
㶙刚⊭㻧 Auction result comparison: LATER CHINESE BRONZES FROM THE 㶭ẋầ⎌暁俛戭⢢
ᷕ⚳炻㖶㛅 COLLECTION OF ULRICH HAUSMANN. Sotheby’s, 08 OCTOBER 2014, 戭炻⮷䭬⚵挷慹炻⊭㻧⬴┬
⑩䚠列⤥炻⸽悐⍲⢢柠ℑ嗽㚱ᾖ墄 HONG KONG, lot 3310. (for a related bronze from the same period) ᷕ⚳炻18军19ᶾ䲨
⽟⚳⢾Ṍ⭀䥩Ṣ㓞啷炻㕤1970⸜⇵⛐ᷕ⚳⍾⼿ ⑩䚠⬴┬炻⸽悐䴻ᾖ⽑ˤ
⃫ẋầ⎌戭㕡如 ⽟⚳⺢䭱ⷓEckart Muthesius䥩Ṣ㓞啷炻㝷㜿炻1904-1989⸜
EstimateġEUR 1.200,- ⣏✳戭晽炻堐朊㹓㡽刚㺮
Starting price EUR 600,- ᷕ⚳炻IJĴĮIJĵᶾ䲨 EstimateġEUR 300,-
⑩䚠㤝⤥ Starting price EUR 150,-
⽟⚳䥩Ṣ㓞啷炻1950⸜ẋ⭞㕷⁛㈧
EstimateġEUR 400,-
Starting price EUR 200,-

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