Lot 232. An archaic bronze ritual food vessel (ding), Shang dynasty, Erligang culture. Height 24.4 cm. Estimate 50,000 - 70,000 USD. Unsold. © Sotheby's 2023

Provenance: Japanese Private Collection, acquired in the 1980s and 1990s.
Ikeda Kobijutsu, Tokyo.

Note: This type of ding with pointed legs is characteristic of ritual bronzes from the pre-Anyang period of the Shang dynasty, but the band of decoration on the current vessel is broader and particularly crisp. Compare a vessel of similar form decorated with a band of zigzag lines, excavated at Chuqiu, Henan province and now in the Xinxiang City Museum, illustrated in Zhongguo qingtongqi quanji [Complete series on Chinese bronzes], vol. 1, Beijing, 1996, pl. 44; and another, excavated from Hui county, Henan province, ibid., pl. 27. 

The current ding closely relates to other vessels from the Erligang culture excavated at Panlongcheng. See Panlongcheng Qingtong Wenhua [The bronze culture of Panlongcheng], Wuhan, 2002, pp 116-7, where the stages of evolution of the sharp triangular feet and taotie masks throughout the mid-Shang dynasty are clearly documented.

Lot 248. An archaic bronze ritual wine vessel (jia), Shang dynasty, Erligang culture. Height 23.4 cm, plexiglass stand, Japanese wood box (4). Estimate 70,000 - 90,000 USD. Lot Sold 69,850 USD. © Sotheby's 2023

Provenance: Japanese Private Collection, acquired in the 1980s and 1990s.

Note: Compare a related bronze jia similarly decorated around the body and neck with taotie masks between rows of repetitive rings, excavated in Panlongcheng, Hubei province, illustrated in Li Taoyuan et al., ed., Panlongcheng qingtong wenhua [Archaic bronze cultures at Panlongcheng], Wuhan, 2002, p. 103; another excavated in Yaozhuang, Mancheng, Hebei province, attributed to the Erligang culture, illustrated in Robert W. Bagley, Shang Ritual Bronzes in the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, Washington, D.C., 1987, p. 78, fig. 48; and a third of a larger size, from the Meiyintang Collection, similarly attributed to Shang dynasty, Erligang culture, circa 15th-14th century BC, published in Wang Tao, Chinese Bronzes from the Meiyingtang Collection, London, 2009, pl. 8, where the author notes that 'the sophisticated casting technology and comparatively standardized decoration indicate the beginning of a transition from the early to the middle Shang dynasty'. See a middle Shang dynasty bronze jia with a related taotie design but without the rows of repetitive rings, discovered at Lanhefan, Yancheng, Henan province, in 1979, now preserved in Xushen Memorial Museum in Yancheng, illustrated in Zhongguo qingtongqi quanji [Complete series on Chinese bronzes], vol. 1, XiaShang1, Beijing, 1996, pl. 94. 

Other related bronze jia of a slightly more elongated form from around this period include one of a larger size, attributed to the late 14th century - early 13th century BC, formerly in the collection of Hayasaki Kokichi, purchased by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston in 1914, illustrated on the Museum's website (accession no. 14.85); one attributed to approximately 1500-1200 BC, formerly in the collection of Avery Brundage, now in the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, published on their website (accession no. B60B45); a third from the MacLean Collection, sold in these rooms, 22nd September 2021, lot 4; and another formerly in the Asami Collection, attributed to the early Shang dynasty, Erligang phase, circa 1600-1500 BC, sold at Christie's New York, 20th September 2013, lot 1453.

Lot 207. Property from an American private collection. The Wei Gu, Late Shang dynasty; cast to the interior of the foot with a single clan pictogram reading wei. Height 27.5cm. Estimate 80,000 - 120,000 USD. Lot Sold 101.600 USD. © Sotheby's 2023

Provenance: Collection of Jack and Adele Frost.
Offered at Christie's New York, 2nd December 1986, lot 311.
Acquired in Los Angeles, circa 1990.
Christie's New York, 17th September 2008, lot 348.

Literature: Liu Yu and Lu Yan, eds., Jinchu yinzhou jinwen jilu [Compilation of recently discovered bronze inscriptions], vol. 3, Beijing, 2002, pl. 692.
Liu Yu and Wang Tao, Liusan oumei yinzhou youming qingtongqi jilu / A Selection of Early Chinese Bronzes with Inscriptions from Sotheby's and Christie's Sales, Shanghai, 2007, pl. 202.
Wu Zhenfeng, Shang Zhou qingtong qi mingwen ji tuxiang jicheng [Compendium of important inscriptions and images of bronzes from the Shang and Zhou dynasties], vol. 17, Shanghai, 2012, no. 08988.

Note: The present vessel is a fine example of the sophisticated bronze style developed in the late Shang dynasty during China's Bronze Age. Bronze gu, used as sacrificial wine receptacles, are known throughout the Shang dynasty, but it was in the late Shang period when bronze casting reached a new height that the vessel attained its final striking form. Gu, at first, were short and stout with simple taotie designs merely suggested by eyes amidst linear decoration, yet the refinement of shape and ornamentation steadily took place as the foundries' technique gained in skill and experience. By the time the Shang capital had moved from Zhengzhou to Anyang in Henan province, circa 1300 BC, gu of taller, more graceful proportions with intricate taotie design and other animal motifs had entered the foundries' repertoire. 

This gu is cast with an interesting clan pictogram depicting two pairs of feet with one encircled. This pictogram has been deciphered by contemporary scholars to be wei 圍, which translates to 'surround / besiege' (see Zhong Lin, Jinwen jiexi dazidian [Explanatory dictionary of archaic bronze inscriptions], Xi'an, 2017, p. 762). Wei was one of the ancient clans active during the late Shang period. According to a survey conducted by He Jingcheng (Shangzhou qingtongqi zushi mingwen yanjiu [Study of the clan pictograms on the bronzes from the Shang and Zhou dynasties], Jinan, 2009, pp 381 and 382), about 25 extant bronzes can be identified from this clan, all of which are attributed to the late Shang dynasty. Several bronzes from the group have been discovered at Houjiazhuang, Anyang, Henan province, which suggests the possibility that at least some of the members from the Wei clan resided near the late Shang capital. 

Three other bronze gu, in addition to the present vessel, are known to have the same clan pictogram, possibly forming a set or part of a set. One of the same size and design from the Museum of Asian Art, Berlin, is published in Zhong Baisheng, Chen Zhaorong, and Huang Mingchong, et al., ed., Xinshou Yin Zhou qingtongqi mingwen ji qiying huibian [Compendium of inscriptions and images of recently included bronzes from Yin and Zhou dynasties], Taipei, 2006, no. 1835; the second from the collection of Paulette Goddard Remarque, was sold in our London rooms, 13th December 1977, lot 210; the third from the Palace Museum, Beijing, recorded by the rubbing of its inscription, is illustrated in Wu Zhenfeng, Shang Zhou gingtongqi mingwen ji tuxiang jicheng [Compendium of inscriptions and images of bronzes from Shang and Zhou dynasties], vol. 17, Shanghai, 2012, no. 08989.

See also other bronzes from the Wei clan, such as two jue, one zhi, and one hu, excavated from the late Shang tombs at Houjiazhuang, Anyang, published in The Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, ed., Yin Zhou jinwen jicheng [Compendium of Yin and Zhou bronze inscriptions], Beijing, 1984, nos 6035, 7486, 7485, and 9463, respectively; three bronze ding in the Palace Museum, Beijing, published in ibid., nos 1053, 1054, and 1056; and a jia discovered in Anyang, now in the Xinxiang Museum, Henan province, published in Zhongguo qingtongqi quanji [Complete series on Chinese bronzes], vol. 3, Beijing, 1997, pl. 45.

Lot 211. The Tian Se Ce Fu Gui You, Late Shang dynasty; cast to the interior of the vessel and cover with a five-character inscription reading tian se ce fu gui (2). Height including handle 35 cm. Estimate 150,000 - 250,000 USD. Unsold. © Sotheby's 2023

Provenance: Discovered prior to 1935.
Collection of Eiji Koichi, member of the Tokyo Art Club (by repute).

Literature: Wang Chen, Xuyinwencun [Continuation of the surviving writings from the Yin dynasty], vol. 1, 1935, p. 75.
Luo Zhenyu, Sandai jijin wencun [Surviving writings from the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties], vol. 13, 1937, p. 12.
Luo Fuyi, Sandai jijin wencun shiwen [Interpretations of the surviving bronze inscriptions from the Three Dynasties], 1941, published in Hong Kong, 1983, vol. 13, no. 2737.
Wang Xiantang, Guoshi jinshizhi gao [Manuscript of archaic bronze in Chinese history], 1943, published in Qingdao, 2004, vol. 1, p. 269, pl. 85.
Rong Geng, Jinwenbian [Compendium of archaic bronze inscriptions], vol. 2, Beijing, 1959, p. 92.
Zhou Fagao, Sandai jijin wencun zhulubiao [List of the inscriptions from the surviving writings from the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties], vol. 2, Taipei, 1977, p. 482.
Sun Zhichu, Jinwen zhulu jianmu [Concise list of recorded bronze inscriptions], Beijing, 1981, p. 279, no. 4832.
Yan Yiping, Jinwen Zongji [Corpus of Bronze Inscriptions], Taipei, 1983, no. 5304.
The Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, ed., Yin Zhou jinwen jicheng [Compendium of Yin and Zhou bronze inscriptions], vol. 10, Beijing, 1984, no. 5173.
The Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, ed., Yin Zhou jinwen jichengshiwen [Interpretations of the compendium of Yin and Zhou bronze inscriptions], vol. 4, Hong Kong, 2001, no. 5173.
Wang Xinyi, ed., Shangzhou tuxing wenzi bian [Dictionary of the pictograms from the Shang and Zhou dynasties], Beijing, 2007, p. 577, no. 1344.
Liu Yu, Shangzhou jinwen zhulu zongbiao [Comprehensive list of recorded Shang and Zhou bronze inscriptions], Beijing, 2008, p. 775, no. 5672.
He Jingcheng, Shangzhou qingtongqi zushi mingwen yanjiu [Study of the clan pictograms on the bronzes from the Shang and Zhou dynasties], Jinan, 2009, p. 619, no. B153.
Guancheng Library, ed., Rong Geng xueshu zhuzuo quanji [The complete collection of the academic works by Rong Geng], vol. 3, Beijing, 2011, p. 1126.
Wu Zhenfeng, Shang Zhou qingtongqi mingwen ji tuxiang jicheng [Compendium of inscriptions and images of bronzes from Shang and Zhou dynasties], vol. 23, Shanghai, 2012, no. 13029.

A Union in Bronze: The Tian Se Ce Fu Gui You

The present you is remarkable for its inscription, which comprises an exceedingly rare complex clan pictogram (fuhe shiming 複合氏名). A complex clan pictogram can be identified as having two or more individual clan symbols, plus, sometimes, specific non-clan symbols, incorporated into one stylized sign to represent a single clan. The five-character inscription on the present vessel suggests the owner, who belonged to the clan of Tian Se Ce 天𥢺冊, made this ritual vessel for his father, Gui. This you appears to be the only surviving bronze known to have come from this ancient clan.

According to Zhang Maorong's study, whenever the character ce appears in a complex clan pictogram, it suggests the members of that clan served the official position of zuoce 作冊 at the court. The author further notes that the character ce was frequently incorporated into the design of ancient clan pictograms; it demonstrates that zuoce was a high rank position at the court (see Zhang Maorong, 'Shilun shangzhou qingtongqi zuhui wenzi dute de biaoxian xingshi [Discussion on the unique style of the clan pictogram on Shang and Zhou bronzes]', Guwenzi yu qingtongqi lunji [Compilation of essays on ancient scripts and archaic bronzes], Beijing, 2002, p. 4).

The official title, zuoce, began to appear in the Shang dynasty. Numerous related records can be found in oracle bone inscriptions since the period of Wu Ding (circa 1200 BC). Upon the fall of the Shang empire, this title was widely adopted by the newly established Zhou court and remained in use until the middle Western Zhou period, before it was gradually replaced by the titles of neishi 內史 and shiyin 史尹. Zuoce were highly revered and powerful officials at the court. Their responsibilities included drafting royal decrees on behalf of the king; recording important historical events; commissioning ritual bronzes for ancestral ceremonies; leading ceremonies at the ancestral temples; representing the king to reward leaders of the vassal states; and being in charge of the royal banners (which could be used to give orders to the vassal states). For more details about zuoce, see Zhang Yachu and Liu Yu, Xizhou jinwen guanzhi yanjiu [Study of Western zhou dynasty officialdom], Beijing, 1986, p. 125. 

The first and second characters from the present pictogram, tian and se, respectively, each represent an individual clan. The combination of the two suggests a certain form of association between them. There have been many discussions and debates about the types of association held between the individual clans within a complex clan pictogram. Some scholars believe it suggests the merging of two or more clans; some argue it's an indication of marriage between clans; others concluded it could be a way to mark family lineage (see Zhang Maorong, 'Guanyu tansuo 'fuhe zuhui' neihan de xinsilu [New ideas on the discovery of 'complex clan pictograms''], op. cit., 2002, p. 31). The Tian clan is an important and well-known clan of the Shang dynasty, whereas very little has been recorded about Se clan. It is possible that during the late Shang period, members of the Se clan merged or married into the Tian clan, which was more powerful at the time. Alternatively, the Se could have also descended from the Tian clan. 

You are believed to have been used as wine containers at ancestral rituals. The term, however, can be matched with this shape only since it was used for vessels of this form in the Northern Song catalogue Kaogutu (Illustrated antiques), where eight you are illustrated and described. Wang Tao notes that 'in Shang oracle bone inscriptions and Western Zhou bronze inscriptions, a vessel named you was employed as a bucket for aromatic wine used for sacrifice' (see Chinese Bronzes from the Meiyintang Collection, London, 2009, p. 62). The character '卣' does, however, not occur in inscriptions on the archaic bronze vessels themselves, which may originally have been named differently. 

The shape of you was in use since the later Erligang period (c. 1600-c. 1400 BC) and can vary a lot, being much taller, cylindrical, square, bearing a long spout, or shaped like an animal with four legs. According to Robert W. Bagley, the wine vessels found in the tomb of Fu Hao, consort of King Wu Ding, the only undisturbed royal Shang tomb at Anyang so far, which has been variously dated from c. 1250 to c. 1200 BC, 'do not include oval-bodied you, suggesting that the type did not appear until after the first century of the Anyang period' (see Shang Ritual Bronzes in the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, Washington, D.C., 1987, p. 374).

While typical in form and design, the present you is notable for its impressively large size, which is a clear indication of its owner's superiority. Most of the bronze you of this type are recorded under 30 cm in overall height. Only a few examples of a comparable size are known. See a related bronze you (overall height 32.1 cm) from the Qing Court Collection, later entering the collection of Liu Tizhi and now currently in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, published in Minao Hayashi, In Shū Jidai seidōki no kenkyū. In Shū seidōki souran [Research of bronze ware of Shang and Zhou dynasty], vol. 1, Tokyo, 1984, you, no. 80; one (32 cm) in the Palace Museum, Beijing, published in The Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, ed., Yinzhou jinwen jicheng [Compendium of Yin and Zhou bronze inscriptions], Beijing, 1984, no. 04789; and another (33 cm), imperially bestowed by the Qianlong Emperor to the Temple of Confucius in Qufu, Shandong province, presently preserved in the Qufu Cultural Relics Preservation Committee, included in Shandong Museum, ed., Shandong jinwen jicheng [Compendium of archaic bronze inscriptions from Shandong], vol. 2, Jinan, 2007, pl. 451. 

For excavated examples, see one (34.5 cm) discovered at Hongwei village, Fufeng county, Shaanxi province, in 2006, now in the Fufeng County Museum, Shaanxi, illustrated in Wu Zhenfeng, Shang Zhou qingtong qi mingwen ji tuxiang jicheng [Compendium of important inscriptions and images of bronzes from the Shang and Zhou dynasties], vol. 23, Shanghai, 2012, no. 12750; and another (32.2 cm) excavated at Qianzhangda village, Tengzhou city, Shandong province, in 1995, now in the Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, published in the institute's book Tengzhou qianzhangda mudi [Tombs at Qianzhangda, Tengzhou], Beijing, 2005, p. 282, fig. 201.1. Compare also auctioned examples, including one (33 cm) sold at Christie's London, 17th June 1982, lot 5; and another (32 cm), sold in our London rooms, 13th July 2005, lot 158.

Lot 212. An archaic bronze ritual wine vessel (Jia), Late Shang dynasty. Height 21 cm. Estimate 70,000 - 90,000 USD. Unsold. © Sotheby's 2023

the inside of the handle carved with an inscription comprising a ju and three tian characters.

Provenance: Galerie Christian Deydier, Paris.
Important European Private Collection.

Exhibited: Ancient Chinese Ritual Bronze Vessels, Galerie Christian Deydier, Paris, 2013, cat. no. 2.

Note: Jia, an important type of bronze ritual vessel, first appeared during the Erlitou culture (c.1900-c.1500 BC). This vessel form became popular between the Shang and early Western Zhou dynasty, before it was gradually replaced by other bronze types after the middle Western Zhou period. Chen Peifen notes that jia were used during the guanli 祼禮, a type of ancient ritual performed in the autumn and winter seasons (see Zhongguo qingtongqi cidian [The dictionary of Chinese archaic bronzes], vol. 1, Shanghai, 2013, p. 39). Zhu Fenghan concludes in his book that jia served as vessels to warm wine during ritual ceremonies, evidenced by the burnt marks and traces of water stains found on numerous excavated jia (Zhongguo qingtongqi zonglun / A Comprehensive Survey of Chinese Bronzes, vol. I, Shanghai, 2009, pp 168 and 169).

Compare a very similar bronze jia of the same form but with a slightly different taotie design, excavated at Qishan county, Shaanxi province, in 1972, now in the collection of Qishan County Musuem, attributed to the late Shang dynasty, illustrated in Zhongguo qingtongqi quanji [Complete series on Chinese bronzes], vol. 4, Shang 4, Beijing, 1996, pl. 58; and another sold in our London rooms, 15th March 1973, lot 406. A further related example is illustrated in Minao Hayashi, In Shū Jidai seidōki no kenkyū. In Shū seidōki souran [Research of bronze ware of Shang and Zhou dynasty], vol. 1, Tokyo, 1984, jia, no. 34; and another excavated at Xiaotun village in Anyang, Henan province, published in Zhu Fenghan, Zhongguo qingtongqi zonglun / A Comprehensive Survey of Chinese Bronzes, vol. 1, Shanghai, 2009, p. 172, fig. 3.33.9 (line drawing). A bronze jia of a slightly more elongated form, attributed to the early Anyang period, circa 14th / 13th century BC, from the collection of Yolanda and Paul Lippens, is published in Christian Deydier, The Lippens Collection of Ancient Chinese Bronzes, Hong Kong, 2019, cat. no. 12.

Lot 226. Property from an American Private Collection. An inscribed archaic bronze ritual wine vessel (Gu), Late Shang dynasty. Height 24.3 cm. Estimate 10,000 - 15,000 USD. Lot Sold 13,970 USD. © Sotheby's 2023

inscribed to the interior of the foot with a single clan pictogram, reading possibly bing

Provenance: Collection of Major Albert Victor Rome (1920-1980), acquired in Japan between 1945 and 1952, and thence by descent. 

Note: The clan pictogram cast on the present bronze has been debated among scholars, interpreted variously as li 鬲, bing 炳, and bing 丙, with the last being the most influential interpretation. The Bing clan was one of the vassal states in the late Shang and early Western Zhou dynasty. There are over 170 extant bronzes known to be from the Bing state, which is a considerable amount compared to the discoveries made for other vassal states of the period. During China's Bronze Age, when the precious metal materials used to cast bronze objects were highly treasured and limited, the quantity of bronze production was undoubtedly one of the most important indications to the strength of a state. 

A few extant bronze gu inscribed with the same clan symbol have been recorded, including two with a different design, excavated from the Shang tombs in Jingjie village, Lingshi county, Shanxi province, illustrated in Wu Zhenfeng, Shang Zhou qingtong qi mingwen ji tuxiang jicheng [Compendium of important inscriptions and images of bronzes from the Shang and Zhou dynasties], vol. 17, Shanghai, 2012, nos 09175 and 9176; and two in the Palace Museum, Beijing, published in The Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, ed., Yin Zhou jinwen jicheng [Compendium of Yin and Zhou bronze inscriptions], Beijing, 1984, nos 06763 and 06764.

Lot 227. An archaic bronze ritual wine vessel (Jue), Late Shang dynasty. Height 20.3 cm. Estimate 20,000 - 30,000 USD. Unsold. © Sotheby's 2023

Provenance: Collection of Ethel Graves Sarkisian (1911-1999).
Sotheby's New York, 17th-18th September 2013, lot .

Lot 247. Property from an French Family Collection. The Huan Fu Ding Gu, Late Shang dynasty; cast to the interior base with a three-character inscription reading Huan Fu Ding. Height 29.2 cm. Estimate 60,000 - 80,000 USD. Lot Sold 82,550 USD. © Sotheby's 2023

Provenance: Beurdeley & Cie, Paris, 8th October 1996.
French Private Collection, and thence by descent.

Literature: The Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, ed., Yinzhou jinwen jicheng [Compendium of Yin and Zhou bronze inscriptions], vol. 12, Beijing, 1984, no. 7119.
The Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, ed., Yinzhou jinwen jichengshiwen [Interpretations of the compendium of Yin and Zhou bronze inscriptions], vol. 4, Hong Kong, 2001, no. 7119.
Wang Xinyi, ed., Shangzhou tuxing wenzi bian [Dictionary of the pictograms from the Shang and Zhou dynasties], Beijing, 2007, no. 807, fig. 3.
Liu Yu et. al., Shangzhou jinwen zong zhulubiao [Comprehensive list of recorded Shang and Zhou bronze inscriptions], Beijing, 2008, no. 7766 (vessel recorded).
Wu Zhenfeng, Shang Zhou qingtong qi mingwen ji tuxiang jicheng [Compendium of important inscriptions and images of bronzes from the Shang and Zhou dynasties], vol. 18, Shanghai, 2012, no. 09582.

Exhibited: Arts d'Asie, Beurdeley & Cie, Paris, 1996.

Note: Remarkable for its tall, elegant shape and complex relief decoration highlighted by the neatly cast ground of leiwen spirals, this gu is an outstanding example of the late Shang dynasty bronze style, typical of the final stage of the development in Yinxu. The raised parts and the additions of pronounced flanges to the foot and middle sections, en vogue during the late Shang period, dramatically changed the vessel's silhouette, giving it its distinctive sculptural appearance.

The inscription of the present vessel indicates the owner, who belonged to the Huan clan, made this precious ritual bronze for his father Ding. Several extant ritual bronzes from this clan have been recorded. See a late Shang dynasty ding with the same three-character inscription, reputedly excavated in Anyang, Henan province, now in the National Museum of China, Beijing, published in Zhongguo lishi bowuguan guankan [Bulletin of the museum of Chinese history], no. 4, Beijing, 1982, p. 96, fig. 3; a zhi inscribed with the same clan pictogram, preserved also in the National Museum of China, recorded in Yan Yiping, Jinwen zongji [Corpus of bronze inscriptions], Taipei, 1983, no. 6472; a you published in Liu Tizhi, Xiaojiaojingge jinwen taben [Rubbings of archaic bronze inscriptions in the Xiaojiaojingge], vol. 4, 1935, p. 15; and a further ding cast with four characters including the huan pictogram, attributed to late Shang or early Western Zhou dynasty, formerly in the collection of Pan Zuyin (1830-1890), now in the Shanghai Museum, Shanghai, illustrated in Chen Peifen, Xia Shang Zhou qingtongqi yanjiu [Study of archaic bronzes from Shang, Shang and Zhou dynasties], Xiashang vol. 1, Shanghai, 2004, pl. 57.

A bronze gu of similar design from the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in Palace Museum, ed., Gugong qingtongqi / Bronzes in the Palace Museum, Beijing, 1999, pl. 43; another in the Shanghai Museum, Shanghai, is published in op. cit., Xiashang vol. 2, 2004, pl. 116; one excavated from a Shang dynasty tomb in Chuqiu village, Hui county, Henan province in 1952, now in the Xinxiang Museum, Xinxiang city, is published in Wu Zhenfeng, Shang Zhou qingtong qi mingwen ji tuxiang jicheng [Compendium of important inscriptions and images of bronzes from the Shang and Zhou dynasties], vol. 17, Shanghai, 2012, no. 08888; and another from the Arthur M. Sackler Collection in the National Museum of Asian Art, Washington D.C., is discussed and illustrated in Robert W. Bagley, Shang Ritual Bronzes in the Arthur M. Sackler Collection, Washington, D.C., 1987, pl. 38.

See also several auctioned bronze gu of this type, including two sold in these rooms, the first inscribed with a three-character inscription indicating the bronze was made by a member of the Shan clan for his father Ding, formerly in the collections of both Cao Zaikui (1782-1852) and Fei Nianci (1855-1905), published extensively since the late 19th century, 23rd March 2022, lot 230; and the second from the collection of Julius Eberhardt, cast to the inside of the foot with a single clan pictogram, 17th September 2013, lot 1; and two further examples sold at Christie's New York, one formerly in the collection of Dr. Nathanael Wessén, inscribed with the clan sign of shi, 21st March 2019, 1510; and the second cast with an interesting inscription of Zi Long, 22nd March 2012, lot 1501.

Lot 203. Property from an American private collection. The Ran Gui, Late Shang - Early Western Zhou dynasty; cast to the interior center with a single clan pictogram reading ran. Width 30 cm. Estimate 60,000 - 80,000 USD. Lot Sold 101.600 USD. © Sotheby's 2023

Provenance: Fritz Low-Beer, New York, acquired by circa 1945.
Collection of Richard Bryant Hobart (d. 1968).
Sotheby Parke-Bernet, New York, 23rd May 1969, lot 39.
Collection of J.J. Klejman (1906-1995), and thence by descent.

Literature: Luo Zhenyu, Sandai jijin wencun [Surviving writings from the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties], vol. 6, 1937, p. 5.
Chen Mengjia, Meidiguozhuyi jielue de woguo Yin Zhou tongqi jilu [Compilation of Yin and Zhou archaic bronzes in America], Beijing, 1962, p. 264, no. R508.
Zhou Fagao, Sandai jijin wencun bu [Supplements of surviving writings from the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties], Taipei, 1980, no. 508.
Sun Zhichu, Jinwen zhulu jianmu [Concise list of recorded bronze inscriptions], Beijing, 1981, p. 97, no. 1567.
Yan Yiping, Jinwen Zongji [Corpus of Bronze Inscriptions], Taipei, 1983, no. 1728 and 1730.
The Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, ed., Yinzhou jinwen jicheng [Compendium of Yin and Zhou bronze inscriptions], vol. 6, Beijing, 1984, no. 3008.
The Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, ed., Yinzhou jinwen jichengshiwen [Interpretations of the compendium of Yin and Zhou bronze inscriptions], vol. 3, Hong Kong, 2001, no. 3008.
Wang Xinyi, ed., Shangzhou tuxing wenzi bian [Dictionary of the pictograms from the Shang and Zhou dynasties], Beijing, 2007, p. 723, no. 1707, fig. 7.
Liu Yu et. al., Shangzhou jinwen zong zhulubiao [Comprehensive list of recorded Shang and Zhou bronze inscriptions], Beijing, 2008, no. 3279.
He Jingcheng, Shangzhou qingtongqi zushi mingwen yanjiu [Study of the clan pictograms on the bronzes from the Shang and Zhou dynasties], Jinan, 2009, p. 339.
Wu Zhenfeng, Shangzhou qingtongqi mingwen ji tuxiang jicheng [Compendium of inscriptions and images of bronzes from Shang and Zhou dynasties], vol. 7, Shanghai, 2012, no. 03531.

Note: The present bronze vessel is cast to the interior with a single pictogram, Ran 冉, which is one of the earliest and largest ancient clans recorded in archaic bronze inscriptions. This gui was originally part of a set, and the only other gui known from the same set is now preserved in the National Palace Museum, Taipei. It was formerly in the collection of the Rehe Imperial Palace and is illustrated in Wu Zhenfeng, Shangzhou qingtongqi mingwen ji tuxiang jicheng [Compendium of inscriptions and images of bronzes from Shang and Zhou dynasties], vol. 7, Shanghai, 2012, no. 03534.

According to the study of He Jingcheng (Shangzhou qingtongqi zushi mingwen yanjiu [Study of the clan pictograms on bronzes from the Shang and Zhou dynasties], Jinan, 2009, pp 101-113), there are approximately 245 surviving bronzes today that can be identified to have come from the Ran clan, a family of noted importance from ca. 1200-800 BC. Traces of the Ran clan members have been discovered, based on related archaeological findings, at various major bronze age regions in China, including Henan and Shaanxi province. In addition, bronze vessels bearing the Ran clan symbol have also been excavated in the southern regions, such as Hubei and Hunan province. Some scholars believe that these vessels were brought by the Shang people to the south to perform rituals and ceremonies at the mountains and rivers, evidenced by the large amount of precious jade discovered inside these excavated vessels. Others have suggested that these bronzes belonged to the southern local civilization, which was inspired and heavily influenced by the central Shang culture. 

See other bronze gui from the Ran clan, including one from the Qing Court Collection, now preserved in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, included in one of the Qianlong Emperor's imperial bronze catalogues, Liang Shizheng et al., Ningshou jiangu [Antiquity appraisal of Tranquil and Longevity], vol. 6, 1776, p. 14; and another in the Palace Museum, Beijing, published in The Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, ed., Yinzhou jinwen jicheng [Compendium of Yin and Zhou bronze inscriptions], vol. 6, Beijing, 1984, no. 3011.

Richard Bryant Hobart (d. 1968) was a prominent banker in Cambridge, Massachusetts. After his first journey to China in 1909-1910, he developed a deep interest in Chinese and Korean art, which included ceramics, bronzes, and paintings that, according to his daughter Mabel Hobart Wentworth, were the topics of many conversations with his friends from all over the world. Hobart had lent important pieces to renowned institutions such as Philadelphia Museum of Art, Museum of Fine Art, Boston, and the Fogg Art Museum, Cambridge, believing that the beauty of the artworks that he had kept must be shared with other collectors and viewers to enjoy. Part of his substantial art collection was sold at Sotheby's Parke-Bernet in New York in 1969.

Lot 224. An archaic bronze ritual tripod pouring vessel and cover (He), Late Shang - Early Western Zhou dynasty. Height 21 cm, Japanese wood box (3). Estimate 70,000 - 90,000 USD. Lot Sold 120,650 USD. © Sotheby's 2023