Lot 1158. Three early pottery vessels, Neolithic-Eastern Zhou dynasty, 3rd millenium BC-7th century BC; 6 in. (15.2 cm.) across; 8 3/8 in. (21.2 cm.) across; 15¼ in. (38.8 cm.) high. Estimate USD 8,000 - USD 12,000. Price realised USD 13,750. © Christie's Images Ltd 2013

The earliest, Neolithic period, is a grey pottery tripod vessel, liding, that is raised on three mammiform supports and has scored decoration around the sides below a bow-string band. The next, late Shang/early Western Zhou dynasty, is also a grey pottery liding, with linear scored decoration on the tall legs, body and recessed neck below the everted rim. The surface has extensive red earth encrustation. The last is a dark grey dou and cover, Eastern Zhou dynasty, a tall stem foot supports the horizontally ribbed bowl which is decorated with bands of burnished dogtooth pattern repeated on the domed cover and on the finial that functions as a foot when the cover is inverted.

Provenance: Raymond A. Bidwell (1876-1954) Collection.
The Springfield Museums, Springfield, Massachusetts, accessioned in 1962.

Literature: All: The Raymond A. Bidwell Collection of Chinese Bronzes and Ceramics, Museum of Fine Arts, Springfield, Massachusetts, 1965, the two liding, pp. 14-5, the dou, pp. 26-27.