Beschreibung:

AN IMPORTANT AND RARE LARGE FINELY CAST ARCHAIC BRONZE RITUAL WINE VESSEL, ZUN
LATE SHANG DYNASTY, ANYANG, 13TH-11TH CENTURY BC
AN IMPORTANT AND RARE LARGE FINELY CAST ARCHAIC BRONZE RITUAL WINE VESSEL, ZUN LATE SHANG DYNASTY, ANYANG, 13TH-11TH CENTURY BC The bronze vessel is cast standing on a high splayed foot, and has a wide flaring mouth rising from a narrow-shouldered mid-section. It is decorated in a mixture of flat and relief casting below the mouth rim with a band of upright blades above pairs of kui dragons. The shoulder has three evenly spaced high-relief ram's head masks separated by pairs of dragons centering on short flanges. The mid-section and the high foot are further decorated with flanges and with large taotie masks in relief and reserved on a ground of dense leiwen . The metal is of a dark-green patina with some malachite encrustation. 14 3/4 in. (37.4 cm.) high, wood stand, Japanese wood box