Lot 806
- 806
A VERY RARE ARCHAIC BRONZE RITUAL WINE VESSEL (ZUN) EARLY WESTERN ZHOU DYNASTY |
Estimate
100,000 - 150,000 USD
bidding is closed
Description
- Height 8 in., 20.2 cm
well cast with the bulging central section rising from a splayed foot to a trumpet neck with an everted rim, set evenly around the body with three raised plain bands, inscribed to the interior with an eight-character inscription reading Xi (possibly) Zhong zuo fu yi bao zun yi, the surface with malachite encrustation. Japanese boxes (5)
Provenance
Christie's Hong Kong, 1st December 2010, lot 3218.
This lot is accompanied by a certification note written by Zoroku Hata III in 1936. The box is inscribed with a note by Uzan Nagao (1864-1942) in the same year.
This lot is accompanied by a certification note written by Zoroku Hata III in 1936. The box is inscribed with a note by Uzan Nagao (1864-1942) in the same year.
Condition
There is an approx. 2.5-cm oval patch to the foot and a short break to the foot ring. The upper neck has a network of very fine cracks (detectable on the exterior around approx. 1/3 of the circumference). X-ray images are available upon request.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
Catalogue Note
This vessel is particularly unusual for its minimalist appearance, lacking surface decoration except for three raised ribs. Zun of this type are discussed by Jessica Rawson in Western Zhou Ritual Bronzes from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, Washington D.C., 1990, p. 67, where she notes that plain vessels were recovered in the area of the Xing fief in Yuanshi county, Hebei province, and are datable to the latter part of the early Western Zhou period. Richly decorated vessels were also excavated at this site, suggesting that the two styles coexisted.
Two zun of this type in the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C., are illustrated ibid., vol. IIB, pls 85 and 86, the first decorated with two ram’s heads and illustrated with two further examples, figs 85.1 and 85.2, the second left plain; and two undecorated zun are illustrated in Jung Keng, ‘The Bronzes of Shang and Zhou’, Yenching Journal of Chinese Studies, Monograph Series no. 17, 1941, pls 523 and 543, together with one with a handle, pl. 532.
Two zun of this type in the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C., are illustrated ibid., vol. IIB, pls 85 and 86, the first decorated with two ram’s heads and illustrated with two further examples, figs 85.1 and 85.2, the second left plain; and two undecorated zun are illustrated in Jung Keng, ‘The Bronzes of Shang and Zhou’, Yenching Journal of Chinese Studies, Monograph Series no. 17, 1941, pls 523 and 543, together with one with a handle, pl. 532.