A large archaistic bronze tripod two-handled deep bowl Probably Song Dynasty
139
The Property of a Gentleman
A large archaistic bronze tripod steamer, yan
Probably Song Dynasty
The upper deep bowl cast around the exterior with a thin band of crisp leiwen symmetrically divided at three points by the stylised nose of a taotie mask, the upright loop handles entirely plain, the shoulders of the three plain legs heavily cast with stylised large-eyed animal masks, the surface attractively patinated with shallow malachite and darker areas, with three pictograms to interior, wood stand.
44.5cm (17½in) high without stand (3).
Sold for £31,200 inc. premium

Footnotes

  • This lot is sold with a photocopy of a two-page Japanese letter and a translation dated November 1 1951 from the Japanese correspondent Ryudo-Kai. The letter reports 'the history of the old copper vasin (sic) as under, which you bought: This was presented to the Meiji Emperor by a certain Emperor of China (Shin Era) and was again donated to Mr Iriye, Grand Chamberlaine, by the Meiji Emperor'.

    The vessel is a composite of the pot, zeng, and the cauldron, li. Compare a similar vessel dated to the Shang to early Western Zhou period, illustrated by Lu Wensheng and J.K.Murray, Confucius. His Life and Legacy in Art, New York, 2010, Catalogue, no.23j. Another from the Sackler Collection is illustrated by J.Rawson, Western Zhou Ritual Bronzes from the Arthur M.Sackler Collections, Vol.IIB, Massachusetts, 1990, pp.354-355, no.31.

Category: Asian Art / Chinese Works of Art

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