Lot 139. An unusual azurite-painted bronze ribbed vessel and cover, hu, Eastern Zhou dynasty (770-221 BC); overall h. 34.4 cm. Lot sold: 1,260,000 HKD (Estimate: 400,000 - 600,000 HKD). © Sotheby's 2022

the globular body cast with vertical flutes, intersected by three horizontal azurite-decorated chevon fillets, flanked by a pair of mythical animal mask handles suspending loose rings, all between a waisted neck and a short sprayed foot similarly decorated with bands of geometric patterns, the ribbed cover with an intricate rosette design and surmounted by three elaborate bird-shaped finials.

Provenance: R.H. Ellsworth Ltd, New York, 13th April 1990.

Literature: Selected Treasures of Chinese Art: Min Chiu Society Thirtieth Anniversary Exhibition, Hong Kong, 1990, cat. no. 185.
J. Keith Wilson, 'A Recently Acquired Archaic Sculptural Bronze', Oriental Art, vol. 38, no. 4, 1993, pp. 222-30, fig. 7.

Exhibited: Selected Treasures of Chinese Art: Min Chiu Society Thirtieth Anniversary Exhibition, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1990-91.
British Museum, London, on loan, 1992-2015.

Sotheby's. HOTUNG  The Personal Collection of the late Sir Joseph Hotung: Part 1, Hong Kong, 9 October 2022