An archaic bronze ritual tripod wine vessel and cover, houlou, Western Han Dynasty
Lot 466. An archaic bronze ritual tripod wine vessel and cover, houlou, Western Han Dynasty; 25cm (9 7/8in) high. Estimate £1,000 - £1,500. Sold for £ 6,375 (€ 7,437). © Bonhams
The vessel of rounded shape supported on three short curling legs, applied to the upper body with a pair of loop fittings linked to a chain handle, the domed cover with two ring handles, the surface encrusted with areas of malachite.
Note: See a similar example illustrated by R.Y.Lefebvre d'Argencé, Bronze Vessels of Ancient China in The Avery Brundage Collection, San Francisco, 1977, pl.LIX; and see also an example in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated by Yu Kuo-Ching, Rituals Cast in Brilliance: Chinese Bronzes Through the Ages, Taipei, 2014, p.162.
Bonhams. Roger Keverne Ltd Moving On (Part II), London, New Bond Street, 7 Jun 2021