A Set of Two Shang-Zhou Bronze Ritual Vessels, Beast Mask Li Cauldron & Cloud Pattern Zhi Wine Vessel, Shang-Zhou Dynasty 1600-256 BCE

拍品描述

Dimensions: Iron vessel: 8.2 cm (3.23 in) diameter, 11.2 cm (4.41 in) height; Luan vessel: 6.2 cm (2.44 in) diameter, 14.4 cm (5.67 in) height, total weight 1070 g. Period: Shang and Zhou Dynasties (1600-256 BC). Condition and Provenance: Both bronze vessels are well-preserved, without perforations, defects, cracks, or signs of later repairs. The surfaces are naturally layered with an ancient red and green patina, firmly attached to the bronze core, without artificial corrosion or excessive cleaning. The iron vessel retains its complete upright handles and three-lobed feet, with well-preserved deeply carved animal mask patterns and round studs. The Luan vessel's neck is decorated with neat and complete thundercloud patterns, and the original soil crust is still preserved inside the foot ring, with clearly visible mold marks. This set of bronzes is well-preserved, retaining the original thick bronze color as it was when unearthed. Excavated from a Shang and Zhou dynasty tomb in the Central Plains region, this pair of bronze ritual vessels was exported overseas in the 1990s and later acquired by a private bronze ritual vessel collection in California, USA. California is a major global trading center for Shang and Zhou bronzes. Description: This pair of Shang and Zhou bronze ritual vessels includes a cooking vessel and a wine vessel, and was a standard set of ritual vessels commonly used in small-scale sacrificial and banquet ceremonies of the nobility during the Shang and Zhou periods. The cooking vessel is a ritual vessel with a wide, folded rim, vertical handles on both sides, and three bag-shaped legs. The body of the vessel is decorated with classic Shang and Zhou animal mask patterns, decorated with dots, with smooth and clean lines. It was cast using two molds and is a typical form of cooking vessels from the early Shang and Western Zhou periods. This is a ritual wine cup with an everted rim, a slender neck, a full body, and a high ring foot. The neck is decorated with exquisite thundercloud patterns, while the rest of the body is plain, with a simple and elegant overall outline. This cup was used for banquets by the ancient nobility and was a mainstream small wine vessel during the Shang and Zhou periods. Both artifacts are cast from high-quality bronze alloy, their surfaces covered with a multi-layered patina of green, red, and gray formed over thousands of years underground. Original casting traces, including mold lines and metal spacers, are completely preserved. Complete sets of Shang and Zhou bronzes, including cooking and drinking vessels, are extremely rare today. This collection perfectly recreates the sacrificial rituals of early Chinese nobility and is of significant value for archaeological dating, bronze casting techniques, and the study of ancient ritual systems. It is highly sought after by collectors of Shang and Zhou bronzes in North America.

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