Lot 1227. A bronze ritual food vessel, gui, late Shang-early Western Zhou dynasty, 11th-10th century BC; 9½ in. (24.2 cm.) across handles. Estimate 20,000 - USD 30,000. Price realised USD 60,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2013

The body, of S-curved profile, is raised on a pedestal foot encircled by a taotie band, and is cast in low relief with a band of vertical ribs below a band of alternating 'star' and whorl motifs centered on two sides by a small mask cast in relief, and interrupted on the other two sides by a pair of loop handles with pendant tabs issuing from bovine masks. The patina is dark silvery grey and there is mottled milky-green and malachite encrustation, two Japanese wood boxes, silk bag.

Provenance: Rikunosuke Ogawa Collection, Kyoto, prior to 1935.

Note: A very similar gui from the collection of Dr. Pierre Uldrey is illustrated by H. Brinker, Bronzen aus dem alten China, Museum Rietberg, Zürich, 1975, p. 44, no. 11. See, also, the similar gui from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections sold at Christie's New York, 14 September 2009, lot 3, and another similar example sold at Christie's New York, 26 March 2010, lot 1266.

Christie's. Fine Chinese Furniture, Archaic Bronzes and Works of Art, New York, 21 - 22 March 2013