A Chinese Archaic Bronze Gu Vessel

Probably late Shang dynasty, 12th-11th century BCE, a finely cast bronze ritual wine vessel gu, the slender vessel has a trumpet neck and mouth, body divided into three sections, the top with four elongated leaves with leiwen ground above a band of taotie mask faces, the decoration is continued on lower two relief cast sections together with slightly raised flanges, the high foot is cast to the interior with a clan sign made up of two graph symbols, presented together with later storage box.

11 1/2 in.

Property of a U.S. Army officer, Japan, and by descent

Purchased in Japan in the 1940s.

Similar later Shang dynasty bronze gu vessels that have sold at auction include: Lot 501, Christie's, New York, March 2021; Lot 901, Christie's, New York, Sept 2017. Museum collections with similar vessels include: Metropolitan Museum of Art (2015.52) and at the National Museum of Asian Art, (S1987.275 and S2012.9.574).

Broken pieces from mouth rim remain with the object, please see photos; areas of oxidation commensurate with age.