Early Western Zhou Dynasty, 11th - 10th Century BC The body of the vessel is bulbous in shape, containing a band of elaborately cast scrolling with central taotie masks, and long tailed zoomorphic birds, below this the vessel shows an aesthetically pleasing green patinated body, the body standing on an expanding foot which everts from the body to the bottom with a cast linear line evolving around the centre. The handles are almost C-shaped with surmounted animal heads, possibly kui dragons, and terminates in a pendant tab cast with incised decoration in the form of claws and tail These types of powerful bronze ritual vessels were a highly prized possession of important members of Chinese society, used on an altar to disband rites to their ancestors to gain favour and positive luck away from evil. For another example see Christie’s, March 20, 2012, LOT 1. For a similar gui of similar style and shape see Bronzes in the Palace Museum, Beijing, 1999, p 57, pl.29. Size: L:170mm / W:340mm; 2.8kg Provenance: Private collection of a London doctor; formerly in a Somerset Estate collection; acquired from Hong Kong galleries in the early 1990s.