Exhibited: According to label 'Univ Museum Exhibition C10 4-33' exhibited at Treasures of the Chinese Scholar, Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco, USA, 1997, and University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, USA, 1998.

China, 9th-7th century BC. The compressed body raised on three legs with flat, partially open backs, each leg positioned below a notched flange centering pairs of stylized confronting dragons, the flat everted rim undecorated. The bronze with a superb, naturally grown, rich patina with distinct malachite and azurite encrustations.

Provenance: Sotheby's New York, 28-29 November 1994, lot 202 (dated late Shang to early Western Zhou dynasty). Lacquered with an inventory number, 'L-1042-145', indicating a prior museum deaccession. The Ji Zhen Zhai Collection, Dr. John Fong, acquired from the above. The underside of one foot with two labels, 'Ji Zhen Zhai Collection' and 'Univ Museum Exhibition C10 4-33'. John K. Fong (Fang Jinpei) was a psychiatrist and Professor of Archaeology at The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in Philadelphia, USA. He studied and collected Chinese art for more than 25 years, developing the Ji Zhen Zhai (Studio of Accumulated Treasures) Collection. He curated the exhibition Treasures of the Chinese Scholar, which first opened at the Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco, USA, in 1997 and then moved to the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in 1998.
Condition: Superb original condition, commensurate with age, with no fills or restorations. As expected with minor nicks and small losses, signs of weathering and corrosion, soil encrustations.

Weight: 1,215 g
Dimensions: Diameter 17 cm, Height 12.5 cm

Expert's note: Decorated with a shallow yet crisp design of taotie masks or S-shaped dragons, vessels of this type were discovered in Fufeng, Shaanxi Provence.

Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related bronze li, 13 cm high, dated to the Western Zhou dynasty, ca. 8th-7th century BC, in the collection of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery of the National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, accession number S1987.351, illustrated by Jessica Rawson, Western Zhou Ritual Bronzes from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, Washington DC, 1990, pp. 328-329, no. 29.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie's New York, 24 March 2011, lot 1251
Price: USD 62,500 or approx. EUR 75,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A Bronze Ritual Tripod Food Vessel, Liding, Late Western Zhou Dynasty, 8th Century BC
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, flanges, and dragon decoration. Note the near-identical diameter (18 cm).

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Sotheby's New York, 22 March 2011, lot 31
Price: USD 56,250 or approx. EUR 67,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: An archaic bronze ritual food vessel (li), late Western Zhou dynasty, 9th / 8th century BC
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, flanges, and dragon decoration. Note the larger size (height 18.4 cm).



西周末年青銅禮器鬲
中國，公元前九至七世紀。寬唇，短頸，腹部呈淺分襠式，袋狀足粗短，器身飾有三道較窄的扉棱。每隻鬲的腹部飾有六隻龍紋，為不對稱排列，頭居中，作回顧形，體部逶迤舒曲，從下緣環回至尾端，自然生長的包漿良好，帶有孔雀石綠色和藍色結殼。

展覽：標籤“Univ Museum Exhibition C10 4-33' 表明該器曾在美國舊金山中國文化中心 Treasures of the Chinese Scholar，展覽中展出，1997年'美國賓夕法尼亞大學Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology，1998年。

來源：紐約蘇富比，1994年11月 28-29日，lot 202 (斷代為商末至西周初)；庫存編號 'L-1042-145'，表明之前從博物館售出。Dr. John Fong教授的集珍齋購於上述拍賣。一足底部有兩個標籤 'Ji Zhen Zhai Collection' 與 'Univ Museum Exhibition C10 4-33'. John K. Fong (Fang Jinpei)曾是美國費城賓夕法尼亞大學精神病學家和考古學教授。他研究和收藏中國藝術超過 25 年，建立了集珍齋收藏。1997年，他策劃的“Treasures of the Chinese Scholar”展覽首先在美國舊金山中國文化中心開幕，1998年來到賓夕法尼亞大學考古與人類學博物館。
品相：極好的原始狀態，沒有填充或修復，有輕微的劃痕和小缺損、風化和腐蝕的跡象、土壤結殼。

重量：1,215 克
尺寸：直徑17 厘米，高12.5 厘米

專家注釋：陝西扶風曾出土此類器物，飾饕餮紋或S形龍紋。

文獻比較：
比較一件非常相近的西周公元前八至七世紀青銅禮器鬲，高13 厘米，收藏於Arthur M. Sackler Gallery of the National Museum of Asian Art，史密森學會，館藏編號S1987.351，見Jessica Rawson，《Western Zhou Ritual Bronzes from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections》，Arthur M. Sackler基金會，華盛頓DC，1990年，頁328-329，編號29。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：紐約佳士得，2011年3月24日，lot 1251
價格：USD 62,500（相當於今日EUR 75,000）
描述：公元前八世紀西周末期青銅禮器鬲
專家評論：比較非常相近的外形、分檔式和龍紋。請注意幾乎相同的直徑(18 厘米)。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：相近
拍賣：紐約蘇富比，2011年3月22日，lot 31
價格：USD 56,250（相當於今日EUR 67,500）
描述：公元前九至八世紀西周末期青銅禮器鬲
專家評論：比較非常相近的外形、分檔式和龍紋。請注意尺寸較大(高18.4 厘米)。