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A BRONZE RITUAL FOOD VESSEL AND COVER, DING, EARLY WARRING STATES PERIOD
LOT 320 - FAS0424
China, 5th- 4th century BC. Finely cast, supported on three cabriole legs, the exterior decorated with six bands of interlocking dragons, the sides set with a pair of ring handles, the domed cover surmounted by three similar handles.
Provenance: From a private collection in Vienna, Austria, acquired in Beijing during the 1970s.
Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, signs of weathering and erosion, encrustations, corrosion, casting flaws, nicks, dents, small losses. The bronze has a naturally grown patina with vibrant malachite encrustations.
Weight: 1,227 g
Dimensions: Width 21.6 cm (across handles), Height 17 cm
Ding vessels were first cast by the Shang and were undoubtedly an important Chinese bronze vessel. Used originally as cauldrons to cook food, the tripod vessel could easily be set above an open fire. The earliest examples of Ding were found in Zhengzhou and date from the end of the 15th century BC. During the Eastern Zhou period, ding started being cast with a cover, often equipped with a set of rings for easier removal, as seen on the present lot.
Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related bronze ding with similar loop-ring handles, 15.2 cm high, dated to the Eastern Zhou period, circa 5th-4th century BC, in the British Museum, registration number 1936,1118.53.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby’s New York, 19 March 2013, lot 64
Price: USD 11,250 or approx. EUR 14,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A bronze ritual food vessel and cover, Warring States period
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, decoration, and manner of casting, with similar bands of interlocking dragons, wear, and patina.
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