A rare archaic bronze inscribed ritual food vessel, Ding
Early Western Zhou Dynasty
Raised on three slightly tapering legs, the swelling body finely cast near the upper section with a narrow band of six stylised kui-dragons in low relief below an everted rim cast with a pair of upright loop handles, the interior crisply cast with an eight-character pictogram reading Yatun zuo fuyi bao zunding, with a pale green and milky patina, small patches of malachite encrustation, wood stand. 21cm (8 1/4in) high. (2).