Page 26 - March 23, 2022 Sotheby's NYC Fine Chinese Works of Art

THE GUO JI SHI ZI ZU HU

虢季氏子組壺

REGINA KRAHL AND HANG YIN

康蕊君及尹航

This magnificent ritual wine jar, known as the Guo Ji Shi Zi Zu Hu, is an 本品虢季氏子組壺，雄渾古樸，氣韻磅
impressive example of late Western Zhou bronze art. By virtue of its 礴，為西周晚期青銅重器，其銘文有著極
lengthy, historically significant inscription, the vessel was particularly 為重要的歷史文化價值，故此本壺自清末
admired by the celebrated bronze connoisseurs of the late Qing dynasty
(1644-1911). 起就已深受無數金石大家的重視與推崇。
It bears a seventeen-character inscription inside the neck, reading Guo 壺內頸銘十七字（重文二）：「虢季氏子
Ji shi Zizu zuo bao hu zizi sunsun yong bao qi yong xiang, which can be 組作寶壺子子孫孫永寶其用享」。「虢」
translated ‘Zizu of the Ji clan of the Guo state made this precious hu 即虢國，「季」為族氏，「子組」為作器
vessel; may his sons and grandsons forever treasure it and enjoy its use.’
者名，此篇銘文記載虢國之季氏子組製此
The Guo state was one of the most powerful regional vassal states of 珍貴壺器，期盼子孫後代永遠珍享。
the Western Zhou dynasty (1046-771 BC). The rulers of Guo, who were
closely related by birth to the Zhou royal house, held key positions in the 虢國在西周時期是一個極為重要的諸侯
entourage of the Zhou kings. States such as Guo were not independent 國，其國君與周王室血脈相連、位高權
political entities but rather strategically important territories overseen by 重，其封國的地理位置對於穩固西周王朝
a clan installed to support Zhou rule. Their importance for the Zhou royal 及其政權有著重要的軍事戰略意義。從目
house found expression among other things in tombs particularly richly
furnished with ritual bronzes and jades. 前虢國墓葬出土的一批批珍貴青銅器及玉
器，即不難看出當時虢國對於周朝封建統
To unravel the history of the state of Guo and that of the ruling dynasty
mentioned on the present bronze, Ji, is a most complex task and no 治至關重要的地位。
absolute unanimity exists as yet about its genealogy and its chronology. 對於虢國的完整歷史以及其季氏一族整體
There seems to be agreement about the various branches of the Guo 脈絡的追溯研究，無疑是一項艱巨的工
state recorded in Chinese classical literature: Western Guo, Eastern Guo,
Southern Guo, Northern Guo, and Small Guo (xiaoguo 小虢). 程，目前學術界對此亦並未達成絕對的統
一意見。但對於古文獻中出現的五個虢國
The Western and Eastern Guo states were established following the
conquest of the Shang dynasty (c. 1600-1046 BC) by King Zhou Wu. They 名稱，今已有普遍共識。此五虢國分別為
were strategically positioned to provide protection for the Zhou empire to 西虢、東虢、南虢、北虢以及小虢。
the west and the east. Western Guo was located in Yongzhou 雍州, today’s 西虢及東虢封立於西周初期。周武王克商
Baoji region, Shaanxi province, Eastern Guo in today’s Yingyang county 滎
陽縣, Henan province. The founding kings of the two states, Guo Shu 虢叔 之後，分封同姓諸侯，西虢及東虢便在其
and Guo Zhong 虢仲, were brothers of King Zhou Wen and uncles of King 中，屬於兩個至關重要的姬姓封國。其在
Zhou Wu. They served as King Zhou Wen’s qingshi 卿士, which was the 地理位置上於東西兩側對剛剛建立起來的
highest official position serving under the king at the Zhou court. Guo Shu 周王朝疆土起到了保護屏障的作用。西虢
also acted as a teacher of King Zhou Wu. 位於雍州，今陝西省寶雞一帶，東虢位於
At the end of the Western Zhou dynasty, the empire was threatened by its 今河南省滎陽縣。二虢國君分別為虢叔及
hostile neighbor from the West, Xianyun 獫狁, also known as Quanrong 虢仲，乃周文王之兄弟，武王之叔父。虢
犬戎, that was responsible for eventually ending the Western Zhou
dynasty. Under such pressure, Western Guo relocated to Shan county, 叔、虢仲在周文王時期官至卿士，即周朝
modern Sanmenxia, Henan province, with its capital Shangyang located 最高官階，相當於後世的宰相之職。虢叔
in today’s Lijiayao, south of the Yellow River, and its aristocratic burial site 並還曾擔任武王以及周公的老師。
in Shangcunling. Since in addition, the state also occupied the location
Dayang 大陽 (also known as Xiayang 下陽) in today’s Pinglu county 平陸 西周末期，獫狁（即犬戎）侵擾周土。為
縣, Shanxi province, north of the Yellow River, historical texts have been 避獫狁之患，西虢東遷至陝縣（今河南
referring to them as Southern Guo and Northern Guo, although they 省三門峽地區），地處黃河以南，定都上
represented a single state that continued the Western branch further east. 陽（今河南省李家窰遺址地區），其貴族
After Western Guo’s move eastwards, a small state remained active in 墓地遺址位於上村嶺。西虢遷地亦包括大
Baoji and became known as Small Guo. Eastern Guo was subjugated by 陽（又稱下陽，今山西省平陸縣地區），
the Zheng state 鄭國 in 767 BC, Small Guo was taken over by Duke Wu of
Qin in 687 BC, and Southern and Northern Guo were conquered by the Jin 位於黃河以北。因此歷史文獻中出現了南
state 晉國 in 655 BC. 虢、北虢之稱，實均為西虢國，東遷之故
耳。而西虢東遷之後，原寳雞故地仍存
有一國，史稱小虢。公元前767年，東虢
為鄭國所滅，公元前687年，秦武公收小
虢，公元前655年，南、北虢國為晉國所
滅，至此這個延續了數百年的強大封國最
終退出了歷史舞台。
Fig. 1 The present lot illustrated in Wu Yun, Liangleixuan yiqi tushi [Illustrated study of the ritual vessels in the Liangleixuan], 1872, vol. 7, p. 4.
圖一 本拍品錄於吳雲，《兩罍軒彝器圖釋》，1872年，卷7，頁4
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