A SILVER-INLAID BRONZE RITUAL FOOD VESSEL AND COVER, DING, WARRING STATES-HAN DYNASTY

拍品描述

A SILVER-INLAID BRONZE RITUAL FOOD VESSEL AND COVER, DING, WARRING STATES-HAN DYNASTY China, 475 BC-220 AD. Well cast with a compressed body and a central bowstring, raised on three cabriole legs and flanked by a pair of gently curved upright handles, the domed cover surmounted by three small loops. The exterior of both the vessel and the cover is finely inlaid in silver with interlocking scroll motifs. (2) Dimensions: Height 14.5 cm, Width 22.6 cm Among the most important vessels of ancient China, the ding became a potent symbol of political authority and dominion over the land. Originally used for cooking and presenting food offerings in ritual ceremonies, its form can be traced to Neolithic pottery prototypes and was translated into bronze on a monumental scale during the Shang dynasty. By the Zhou dynasty, the possession and prescribed use of ding had become closely associated with rank and status, culminating in the celebrated tradition of the Nine Ding, which came to symbolize sovereignty over the realm itself. Long after the decline of the ancient bronze ritual system, the form retained its powerful associations with antiquity, authority, and ancestral tradition, and continued to be reproduced in bronze, ceramics, and other materials, sometimes serving as an incense burner. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby’s Paris, 8 November 2022, lot 27 Price: EUR 18,900 or approx. EUR 21,500 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, manner of casting, and inlaid decoration (albeit with gold). Note the size (16.7 cm). Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Bonhams Los Angeles, 22 June 2021, lot 22 Price: USD 8,287 or approx. EUR 8,800 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, manner of casting, and inlaid decoration. Note the size (15.2 cm).

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