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8069
8069 York, 1995, p. 416-8, no. 86, and later sold at Sotheby’s New York,
A RARE AND UNUSUAL PAIR OF INLAID BRONZE BEAKERS Magnificent Ritual Bronzes, sale 9026, 17 September 2013, lot 9. The
Warring States period author notes the distinctive shape, “so far only from the Warring States
Cast in bronze and of tubular form, the sides applied with bronze wire sites in Shandong Province, within the ancient realm of Qi”, and that
in intricate geometric patters, alternately enclosing minute chips of the size of the Sackler beaker (which at 15.1cm high is comparable to
malachite and lapis, the vessels raised on low flaring feet, the lips with the present lot) is unusually small compared to other vessels such as
silver rims, the undersides inset with red lacquered-wood plugs, the one unearthed at Zhucheng and another from the collection of Dr. Paul
interiors retaining traces of red lacquer. Singer. She speculates that the size and surface ornamentation may
4 1/2in (11.5cm) height of each be the result of later reworking.
$20,000 - 30,000
戰國時期 銅鑲雜寶盃一對
Published Related tubular cups were made in the Han dynasty in jade, suggesting
Kaikodo Journal, New York, Spring 1996, p. 109, no. 51 that vessels such as the present lot may have been the inspiration for
later developments: see for example a footed jade cup excavated at
Warring States vessels with such fine and colorful stone inlay are Chezhangcun, Xi’an, Shaanxi Province and illustrated by J. Rawson,
extremely rare. However for a stylistic predecessor of this pair, of ivory Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing, London, 1995, p. 386,
inlaid with contrasting turquoise, see the cup from the tomb of the fig. 3, although Rawson also posits a lacquer prototype for the cup. It
famous Shang period Queen Fu Hao, excavated in 1976 at Anyang, is interesting to note that Rawson connects such tubular vessels with
and now in the Museum of Yinxu, Henan Province. double cup stands formed with a bird perching on a monster, for example
a 2nd century BC stand excavated at Dou Wan, Mancheng, Hebei
For another example of a vessel of related form, although inlaid with Province, and illustrated ibid., p. 387, fig. 4. The placement of a pair of
the more typical silver and slightly taller (5 7/8in high), see J. So, tubular cups in such a stand would provide a model for the very popular
Eastern Zhou Bronzes from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, New yingxiong or ‘hero’ vase form favored in many media in later Chinese art.
CHINESE PAINTINGS AND WORKS OF ART | 59
