AN ARCHAIC BRONZE FOOD VESSEL, GUI LATE SHANG/EARLY WESTERN ZHOU DYNASTY, 11TH-10TH CENTURY B.C.

拍品描述

AN ARCHAIC BRONZE FOOD VESSEL, GUI LATE SHANG/EARLY WESTERN ZHOU DYNASTY, 11TH-10TH CENTURY B.C. An archaic bronze ritual food vessel, gui, of rectangular form, raised on four legs and cast with twin upright loop handles. The vessel is heavily encrusted, with areas of green, russet and dark brown patination, consistent with long burial and age-related surface accretion. The upper body is decorated with archaistic relief bands, including scrolling motifs and geometric borders. The lower section is supported by four powerful animal-mask legs, each with protruding eyes and stylised fangs, giving the vessel a strong ritual presence. The form and decoration relate to late Shang and early Western Zhou bronze vessels used in ancestral offerings, particularly for presenting grain or cooked food. The condition shows extensive corrosion, surface roughness, losses and encrustation, but the main architectural structure of the vessel remains legible. The underside images show the four circular feet and the open lower structure, helping confirm the vessel’s cast bronze construction and ritual tripod-derived form. Height: 12 cm; Weight: 460 g

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