An extremely rare and massive archaic bronze ritual vessel, Fang Hu


Eastern Zhou Dynasty Of pear shape and lobed rectangular cross-section and on a spreading base supported on the backs of four horned buffalo, the sides of the waisted neck applied with writhing tiger-like animal handles with large almond-eyes and pointed ears, their bodies with stripes and long curling tails, the bulbous body divided into quarters by stepped relief bands simulating leather strapwork, cast around the exterior in medium relief with zones of densely scrolling abstracted chilong, each centred around an eye, the smooth brown-green patina with areas of malachite encrustation. 68cm (26 3/4in) high.
|The Property of a Gentleman 士紳藏品東周 青銅蟠虺紋虎耳牛足方壺Provenance: The Wang Family Collection, Taipei, by reputeGisèle Croës Arts D'Extreme Orient, Brussels, 1996Jean-Yves Ollivier Collection來源：據傳為台北王氏家族舊藏布魯塞爾古董商吉賽爾藝廊，1996年歐宗易先生珍藏The present lot is a magnificent example of the advancement in casting technology accomplished during the Eastern Zhou dynasty, resulting in innovation and elaboration of forms and decoration.The demise of the Zhou Court and subsequent decentralisation of power resulted in fierce competition among break-away feudal states, not only in terms of political and military power, but also in production of works of art. At a time of constant flux and usurpation of the rigid rules on rites and daily customs set by the Zhou Court, feudal lords were eager to commission exceptionally large and elaborate vessels to be used in their own court rituals and banquets, as a display of power and opulence. With the advent of lost-wax casting technology, complicated and elaborate decorative features that were previously difficult to model with the piece-moulding method become feasible to sculpt, adding depth to the decorative details, as seen on the present lot. Compare with a related archaic bronze vase, fang hu, late Spring and Autumn period, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, of similar form decorated with archaic scrolls and flanked by a similar pair of tiger handles, but supported on two tigers, illustrated in Bronzes in the Palace Museum, Beijing, 1999, pp.247, no.243; and compare also with a fang hu, Spring and Autumn period, in the National Museum of China, Beijing, illustrated by W.Watson in Ancient Chinese Bronze, London, 1962, pl.54a.壺薄唇，束頸兩側銜鑄虎耳，虎回首曲尾，身有圓點方斑。腹鼓而垂，起十字棱形帶飾，仿自皮質綁帶。壺頸飾蟠虺紋，呈辦形分佈，上身滿飾蟠虺紋，而下腹光素。高圈足，內收外撇，足圈亦飾蟠虺紋，立於四牛形足之上。器身覆青綠皮色，間以紅褐色。此壺裝飾繁複生動，代表東周青銅器鑄造的高超水平。平王東遷之後，周室衰落，禮制式微，而諸侯國不僅在政治軍事上竟相爭奪，藝術上亦爭高下。諸侯們不斷蠶食周室嚴格的等級制度，器用和裝飾追求大、奇、巧、異，以示堂皇，以徵權勢。失蠟法隨之改進，使得裝飾更加豐富；模型分鑄更加成熟，不僅提高生產效率，亦可鑄造更大器型，此件拍品即是箇中表表。類似方壺可參考一件北京故宮博物院所藏一件春秋晚期方壺，鑄有類似虎耳，足底為二虎，見《故宮青銅器》，北京，1999年，頁247，編號243；中國國家博物館亦藏有一件春秋時期帶蓋方壺，四足為虎形，其他裝飾與形制和此件頗似，見 William Watson著，《Ancient Chinese Bronze（古代中國青銅器）》，倫敦，1962，圖版54a。