A RARE BRONZE RITUAL WINE VESSEL, ZHI, SHANG DYNASTY, CHINA, 13TH-12TH CENTURY BC
Of oval section, the S-profile body is cast in relief to each side with a powerful taotie mask, flanked by pairs of ascending kui dragons, and divided vertically by four notched flanges, all below a narrow band of confronting birds. The background with a remarkably crisp and well-preserved leiwen ground. The tall pedestal foot is cast with two pairs of mythical birds.


Inscriptions
: A clan sign is finely cast to the interior of the base. This sign resembles those on several vessels from Fu Hao’s tomb (see Beijing 1980f., pl. 48), and also several vessels from Anyang, all dating from the 13th century. In more complete forms of this same sign, the yaxing frames a graph recognizable as the name of a diviner from Wu Ding’s reign.


Provenance:
The present lot was part of an important collection of archaic Chinese bronzes, built by three generations of the Chasseloupe-Laubat family in France. Prosper de Chasseloup-Laubat (1805-1873), was a prominent aristocrat, politician, and art collector who became Minister of the French Navy and the Colonies under Napoleon III, traveling extensively through all of Asia. His son Louis (1863-1954), an engineer in ship design, significantly expanded the family collection, also during his frequent travels throughout Asia. François (1904-1968), Prosper’s grandson, eventually inherited the family passion and became a renowned explorer and participant in the Hoggar Expedition. He was the first French explorer to reach English Malaysia, bringing back previously unpublished documents on the isolated Sakai tribes. As a collector, François Chasseloupe-Laubat was advised by Jean Claude Moreau-Gobard, an important French collector and dealer specializing in Asian art.

Condition:
Very good condition, commensurate with age, with ancient wear and expected casting flaws. Some traces of weathering, corrosion, minor dents and losses, shallow surface scratches. The solid, naturally grown patina has distinct malachite and cuprite encrustations.

Weight: 983.7 g
Dimensions: Height 14.5 cm


Expert’s note
: On this elliptical zhi wine cup, the designing artisans went to great lengths to vary the motifs of the low-relief decoration found in the six horizontal registers on each side, which vary significantly, and yet as a group achieve superb stylistic harmony. The three pairs of mythical beasts differ in the treatment of their wings, horns, eyes and other features, and the varying distance between them, whereas the central taotie mask with its prominently raised eyes beautifully echoes the outline of the vessel, which has its widest part in the lower third.


Literature comparison:

Compare a related bronze zhi with similarly stylized birds, 12.1 cm high, dated 10th century BC, in the National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, accession number F1919.6. Compare a closely related bronze zhi with similar decorations, 14.6 cm high, dated to the late 11th century BC, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 24.72.6.


Auction result comparison:

Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 22 March 2019, lot 1503
Price: USD 300,000 or approx.
EUR 332,000
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: The Peng Zhou Zhi, a rare small bronze ritual wine vessel, late Shang dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the related form, albeit lacking flanges, as well as the closely related manner of casting, decorations with similar taotie and stylized bird designs, and patina with similar malachite encrustation. Note the related size (13.8 cm).


Auction result comparison:

Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 23 March 2012, lot 1504
Price: USD 290,500 or approx.
EUR 357,000
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A rare and finely cast bronze ritual wine vessel, zhi, late Shang dynasty, 12th-11th century BC
Expert remark: Compare the related form with similar flanges, albeit with a slightly broader body, and patina with similar malachite encrustation. Note the size (11.2 cm).


Auction result comparison:

Type: Related
Auction: Sotheby’s New York, 13 September 2016, lot 10
Price: USD 68,750 or approx.
EUR 81,000
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: An archaic bronze ritual wine vessel (zhi), Shang dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the related form, decoration, and patina with similar malachite encrustation.




西元前十三至十二世紀商代青銅觶

侈口，束頸，鼓腹，帶圈足。 雷紋地，浮雕饕餮面具，夔龍紋，四出戟，鳳鳥紋。 高足上鑄有兩對神鳥。底足内有菱形線條紋。


款識
: 底座內部鑄有氏族標誌，與婦好墓中的幾件器皿上的標誌相似（參見北京1980f.，第48頁），也與安陽的幾件器皿上的標誌相似。這些器皿的歷史都可以追溯到公元前十三世紀。


來源：
法國Chasseloup-Laubat家族的三代人共同努力建立的中國古代青銅器重要收藏的一部分。Prosper de Chasseloup-Laubat（1805-1873 年）是一位著名的貴族、政治家和藝術收藏家，後來成為拿破崙三世領導下的法國海軍和殖民地部長，足跡遍及整個亞洲。他的兒子Louis（1863-1954 年）是一名船舶設計工程師。在他頻繁遊歷亞洲期間，他的家族收藏顯著擴大。Prosper的孫子François（1904-1968）最終也成為著名的探險家和霍格探險隊的參與者。他是第一位到達英屬馬來西亞的法國探險家，帶回了之前未發表的關於與世隔絕的酒井部落的文獻。作為一名收藏家，François Chasseloupe-Laubat 得到了Jean Claude Moreau-Gobard 的指導，後者是法國一位重要的亞洲藝術收藏家和經銷商。

品相：
狀況非常好，有磨損和鑄造缺陷，一些風化、腐蝕、輕微凹痕和缺損、表面淺劃痕。自然包漿與紅綠色結殼。

重量：983.7 克
尺寸：高 14.5 厘米


文獻比較:

比較一件相近的西元前十世紀鳥紋青銅觶，高12.1 厘米，收藏於史密森學會國立藝術博物館，館藏編號 F1919.6。比較一件非常相近裝飾的西元前十一世紀末青銅觶，高14.6 厘米，收藏於大都會藝術博物館，館藏編號 24.72.6。


拍賣比較：

形制：非常相近
拍賣：紐約佳士得，2019年3月22日，lot 1503
價錢：USD 300,000（相當今日
EUR 332,000
）
描述：商晚期公元前十二至十一世紀倗舟觶
專家註釋：比較相近的外形，但沒有戟，以及非常相近的鑄造風格，饕餮紋和鳥紋，以及包漿類似孔雀石。請注意相近尺寸 (13.8 厘米)。


拍賣比較：

形制：相近
拍賣：紐約佳士得，2012年3月23日，lot 1504
價錢：USD 290,500（相當今日
EUR 357,000
）
描述：晚商青銅饕餮紋觶
專家註釋：比較相近的外形、四出戟 、體稍寬，包漿類似孔雀石。請注意尺寸 (11.2 厘米)。


拍賣比較：

形制：相近
拍賣：紐約蘇富比，2016年9月13日，lot 10
價錢：USD 68,750（相當今日
EUR 81,000
）
描述：商青銅饕餮紋觶
專家註釋：比較相近的外形、裝飾，以及包漿類似孔雀石。