• Call us: +44 (0) 1305 265 080
Lot 11

A CHINESE BRONZE RITUAL FOOD VESSEL, (‘GUI’)

early Western Zhou dynasty, 11th century BC, sturdily cast in relief with a pair of stylised dragons., the foot further cast on the two sides with confronting dragons separated by a narrow flange, the vessel flanked on either side by a pair of loop handles with animal masks., 16cm high x 25cm wide

Compare a bronze ‘gui’ with almost identical design, also dated to the early Western Zhou dynasty (11th century BC), sold at Christie’s New York, 13-14 September 2018, lot 1111.

Duke’s reserve the right to request a 5% deposit of the hammer price to be paid within 24 hours of receipt of the invoice.
Condition Report: click here
Estimate: £10,000 - £15,000
Hammer price: £12,000
Bidding ended. Lot has been sold.

Provenance:  Apparently acquired in Germany in the 1970's or 1980's.
A private English collection

The result of thermoluminescence analysis report, Oxford C115e88, is consistent with the dating of this lot.

General wear and damage consistent with age, particularly to one side of a handle, which also has a missing element, which extends to the flange still retained on the other handle. There is limited malachite encrustation and a long "L"-shaped crack on the other side of the body adjacent to the complete handle. Small areas are covered in a red pigment. 

Our website uses cookies, as almost all websites do, to help provide you with the best possible browsing experience.

Accept Read more