A RARE AND IMPORTANT BRONZE RITUAL TRIPOD WINE VESSEL AND COVER, HE, LATE SHANG-EARLY WESTERN ZHOU DYNASTY

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A RARE AND IMPORTANT BRONZE RITUAL TRIPOD WINE VESSEL AND COVER, HE, LATE SHANG-EARLY WESTERN ZHOU DYNASTY Expert’s note The taotie masks enveloping the present vessel fuse the features of animals and birds into composite beings seemingly caught in continuous metamorphosis, embodying the extraordinary imaginative power of the finest late Shang and early Western Zhou bronzes. Here, the subtle lobing of the body and precise alignment of the principal masks with the three legs lend this visionary imagery remarkable sculptural clarity, while the bulging eyes, sweeping horns, and densely incised scrollwork remain exceptionally crisp. This masterful union of form and ornament, together with the vessel’s outstanding state of preservation, places it among the most distinguished surviving ritual bronzes of its type. China, 12th-11th century BC. Masterfully cast, the subtly lobed pear-shaped body rising from three slender legs through a gently tapering neck, set with a straight, upward-angled spout and a curved handle issuing from the mouth of a stylized dragon head, to a broad circular mouth with a slightly everted rim, fitted with a slightly domed cover surmounted by two loop lugs. Each leg is centered by a large bovine-like ‘taotie’ mask, defined by prominent bulging eyes beneath long horns and reserved against a ground of large ‘leiwen’ motifs, themselves embellished with crisply incised scrollwork. Above, an encircling band is decorated with further stylized masks with raised eyes set amid similar scrolling motifs, which continue onto the cover. Dimensions: Height 24.4 cm (incl. cover) The tripod he is among the earliest forms in the Chinese ritual bronze repertory. Its ancestry reaches back to pottery prototypes of the Erlitou culture, while bronze examples appeared during the Erligang period, as illustrated by Robert W. Bagley, Ancient Chinese Ritual Bronzes in the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, vol. 1, 1987, p. 67, no. 9 (fig. 1), and p. 71, no. 23 (fig. 2). These early vessels already establish the type’s defining features: three mammiform legs, a strap handle, a diagonally rising spout, and an integral domed top with an opening above the handle. By the late Shang dynasty, the form could assume a far more monumental and ornate character, as demonstrated by the two bronze fang he excavated at Xibeigang, Anyang, now in the Nezu Museum, Tokyo, illustrated ibid., p. 104, no. 129 (fig. 3). Their dense, high-relief ornamentation contrasts sharply with the structural clarity and disciplined surface treatment of the present vessel. Dating from the transition between the late Shang and early Western Zhou dynasties, the present he embodies a refined transformation of this ancient form. The integral top has evolved into a separately cast, fitted cover, the spout rises cleanly from the shoulder, and the three attenuated legs lend the pear-shaped body a poised and elegant silhouette. The ornament is fully integrated with the vessel’s architecture: the principal taotie masks are aligned with the lobes and legs, while the low-relief and incised scrollwork follows and accentuates its swelling contours. The he held water used to dilute wine and was therefore classed among wine vessels, forming part of the sumptuous bronze assemblages employed in ancestral rites. Here, ritual function and technical ingenuity are resolved with exceptional formal balance. Literature comparison: Compare a closely related bronze he, dated late 11th century BC, 28.6 cm high, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 24.72.5a, b. Compare a closely related bronze he, dated 11th century BC, unearthed from Waliu Site in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, now in the Zhengzhou Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology. Compare a closely related bronze he, dated 14th-11th century BC, 30 cm high, in the Harvard Art Museum, object number 1943.52.119. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie’s New York, 21 September 2004, lot 149 Price: USD 321,100 or approx. EUR 489,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, modeling, and manner of casting, with analogous ‘taotie’ decoration, interspersed with scrolling motifs, and dragon-shaped handle. Note the size (31.7 cm). Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie’s New York, 24 March 2023, lot 1103 Price: USD 302,400 or approx. EUR 290,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the related form and manner of casting. Note the absence of incised decoration and the size (21 cm).

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