China, 13^th-15^th century. Finely cast in the form of a tapir standing foursquare with flared ears, bulging eyes, above a wide ruyi-shaped snout, two oval protrusions at the center of the forehead, a collar encircling the neck, the long tail hanging down, and inlaid in gold and silver with scrolls decorating the sides of the body and face.

The hollow body fitted with a circular cover cast and decorated as a bird with backward-turned head centering its curved wings, also in gold and silver inlays. (2)

Provenance: Michael Goedhuis, London. A private collection, Central Park South, New York, acquired from the above, and thence by descent. We are grateful to Mr. Goedhuis for confirming the provenance in an email dated 10/28/2024. Michael Goedhuis trained as an economist, graduating with an MBA from the Courtauld Institute in Art History. He started a successful career in investment banking in New York and London, only to leave it in 1975 to pursue his passion for art. He joined Jacob Rothschild’s Colnaghi Oriental Gallery specializing in Persian, Mughal, and Islamic art. It was here that he published a catalog focused entirely on the subject of post-archaic East Asian bronzes, a first in the field, authored by Ulrich Hausmann in 1989. Major collections were curated and sold by Mr. Goedhuis to numerous institutions including The Rothschild Collection to the Shahbanu of Iran, and the Vever Collection to the Smithsonian Institution. He subsequently expanded his activities to India, Japan, and China, concentrating on important antiquities. Today, Mr. Goedhuis continues to exhibit around the world, including in New York and Maastricht.
Condition: Very good condition with expected old wear, casting irregularities, a tiny old loss to the front hoof that has smoothened over time, light scratches, and minor nicks here and there. Some encrustations. The silver with tarnishing. The bronze with a rich, naturally grown, deep patina.

Weight: 1.1 kg
Dimensions: Length 19.9 cm

The shape and inlaid decoration of this charming vessel are based on ancient prototypes of the Warring States period, 5th-3rd century BC. Archaistic vessels of this type are the result of a tremendous interest in ancient bronzes during the Northern Song period, brought about by a renewed interest in Confucianism and anything associated with the rituals of the Bronze Age. The Bronze Age tapirs evidently found favor with the Northern Song Emperor Huizong (r. 1126), who was a very keen antiquarian and who instigated the publication of illustrated catalogues of the items in his collection. One of these, the Xuanhe Bogu tulu ('Xuanhe Illustrated Collection of Antiques'), included an illustration of such an early bronze vessel. The name xizun appears in the Bo gu tu, compiled during the Northern Song dynasty. The word xi meaning 'sacrificial victim', often refers to an ox or another animal. The popularity of these zoomorphic vessels continued into the Yuan and Ming periods.

The identity of this particular animal has been much discussed and is variously described as a 'mythological animal', a 'rhinoceros', and a 'tapir'. The latter seems the most likely candidate since the form has significant features in common with surviving species of tapir, and archaeology has shown that tapirs were indigenous to China in earlier times. Indeed, remains of tapirs were found in Guizhou that date to 200,000 BC. These animals have long been extinct in China, but the Asian tapir has survived in small numbers in areas of Southeast Asia. It is interesting to note that even the bronze tapirs of the Warring States period are shown with collars, which suggests that at one time there was a degree of domestication.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 22 March 2007, lot 162
Price: USD 114,000 or approx. EUR 167,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A rare gold and silver-inlaid bronze tapir-form vessel, zun, Yuan/Ming dynasty, 13^th-15^th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, manner of casting, and inlays. Note the size (21.5 cm) and that this vessel was also previously with Michael Goedhuis.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Bonhams London, 3 November 2022, lot 102
Price: GBP 38,100 or approx. EUR 49,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A very rare gold and silver-inlaid bronze tapir-shaped vessel, xizun, Yuan/Ming Dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, manner of casting, and inlays. Note the size (17 cm).