FANGHU HAN DYNASTY 206BC - 220AD CHINESE BRONZE RITUAL WINE VESSEL JUG & COVER

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FANGHU HAN DYNASTY 206BC - 220AD CHINESE BRONZE RITUAL WINE VESSEL JUG & COVER:
$40356.00

Royal House Antiques

Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for salethis exceptionally important and highly collectable museum quality originalChinese bronze ritual wine vessel and cover, Fanghu Han Dynasty 206BC - 220ADwith Taotie mask handles - olive green and russet patina with specks ofmalachite encrustation.

The quadrangular wine jaris raised on a high pyramidal foot. Two sides of the vessel are embellishedwith a crisply cast taotie-mask, through the nose of which a movable ring isplaced. The mouth rim is accentuated with a narrow-raised band. The squarecover has a flat top, and each side is applied with a bird-form finial thatconvert to supports when the cover is inverted. The vase has an attractiveolive-green and russet patina and has some bright specks of malachiteencrustation. The patina and encrustation enhance the beauty of the vase andmake it interesting to look at: each side has its own appearance.

The taotie-mask is one ofthe most distinctive and characteristic images in Chinese art, originating fromShang ritual bronzes and becoming a much-used decoration in later dynasties:not only in bronze but also on other art-forms such as porcelain. The primaryattribute of this frontal animal-like mask is a prominent pair of eyes, oftenprotruding in high relief. Between the eyes is a nose, often with nostrils at thebase. Taotie can also include jaws and fangs, horns, ears, and eyebrows. Manyversions include a split animal-like body with legs and tail, each flank shownin profile on either side of the mask. While following a general form, theappearance and specific components of taotie masks varied by period and placeof production. It is thought that the taotie is a protective symbol. It islikely that the present fanghu is applied with these masks to protect thedeceased in his grave and on his journey to the spirit world.

In terms of the conditionits exactly as you would expect to find a piece 1800-2200 years old that hasspent hundreds of years buried, there is one small loss to the top, otherwiseit is a sublime museum quality example.

Dimensions

Height:- 35cm

Width:- 18.5cm

Depth:- 19.5cm

Please note allmeasurements are taken at the widest point, if you would like any additional orspecific measurements please ask.

Chinese bronzes

In China bronzes firstappeared in the Erlitou Culture (circa 2100-1600 BC), mainly in the form oflibation vessels,jue,yetin the glorious days of the BronzeAge, during the Shang (circa 1700-1050 BC) and Zhou (1050-221 BC) dynasties,the quality of the casting of bronze was at its height. Not only bronze weaponswere made with which the Shang and Zhou controlled peoples around them, butalso much attention was paid by casters and their patrons to vessels in whichfood and wine were offered to ancestors. Most of these bronzes may be describedas ritual vessels intended for the worship of ancestors, who are often named ininscriptions on the bronzes. These ritual vessels of ancient China representpossibly the most remarkable achievement in the whole history of metalcraftbefore modern times.

Bronze vases should not beconsidered individually but in groups as ritual sets. These sets are defined asthe range of vessel types required for the correct performance of rituals. Thecombination of these vessels can be inferred from two sources - intact tombgroups and vessels that share a common dedication. From the arrangement andquantity of bronzes displayed in a given ceremony, one can discern the specificsocial status and position of that noble host. In the case of vessels interredin tombs it seems likely that the occupant of the tomb was expected to continueto offer sacrifices to his ancestors after his death and that vessels wereburied for this purpose, even though he had become an ancestor himself. It isalso possible that they were used at funerary rites. Besides their use in ancestralworship, rites of spirit worship and as symbols of status and power, bronzescould, it was believed, when buried with the deceased, continue to serve in theafterlife. As some aristocrats and all commoners at the time could not affordthe expense of bronzes, frequently complete sets of ritual vessels were made infired pottery.

In the Shang dynasty (circa1600–1046 BC), the right to cast or possess these vessels was probably confinedto the royal house itself but later was bestowed upon local governors set up bythe ruler; still later, in the Zhou dynasty (1045–256 BC), the right wasclaimed by rulers of the feudal states and indeed by anyone who was rich andpowerful enough to cast his own vessels. Under the ultimate unification of Qinand Han, Chinese bronzes gradually yielded its central role in the ritualsystem but transformed into a cultural archetype.

Shapes

Although there are manydifferent shapes in Chinese bronze ritual vessels, they can be reduced to a fewessential types used for the ritual of ancestor worship. Vessels were requiredin which to cook and serve the dishes, to preserve and hold the wine fordrinking, and to contain and pour water. They can most simply be groupedaccording to their use in sacrifices.

Hu:A round-belliedvase or a jar with a cover

You: A ritual winevessel with a stout oval body and an overhead handle, usually with a cover

Zun: Another ritualwine vessel, flared and with a bulbous mid-section

Gu: Also a ritualwine vessel, similar to thezunbut with a slender silhouette

Jue: One of the morestriking vessels of the archaic ritual bronze assembly — anotherritualwine vessel, with a prominent spout, whorl-capped posts, flared tail and longtripod legs

Ding: A ritualcooking vessel with a globular body, tripod legs and a pair of upright handles

Gui: A ritual foodvessel with a compressed globular body, raised on a waisted foot, with a pairof loop handles usually decorated with animal heads Square forms:Many ofthe standard shapes also appear in ‘square’ orfangversions,including thefangzun,fanghuandfangding.Of greatsignificance to the ancient ruling elites, square vessels are much rarer.Square-sectioned vessels have a more formal and regular appearance.

Today, we see the Chinesebronzes in a very different condition from the original. Their long periodunderground has covered them with a patina, sometimes rough with encrustationsand sometimes smooth like jade. They take on all the shades of green. Often,there are russet, purple or blue patches depending on the chemical changeswhich affected the metal. These alterations only emphasise the beauty of thesebronzes.

Any questions please feelfree to ask before you offer

ABOUT US

Royal House Antiques is a privately owned familyran business founded in Wimbledon SW19 and now based in Pulborough RH20. Wespecialise in finding, restoring very fine luxury antique leather seating,along with every single other type of antique ranging from the 16thcentury to the 20th century. We also stock a number of designerbrands such as Fritz Hansen, Ralph Lauren, Cavalli, Charles & Ray Eames,Vitra, David Linley, Rolex, Tiffany, Jager Le Coulter and so on

PAYMENTS

We accept payment via Bitcoin, Bitcoin cash,Ethereum, Bacs, Chaps, PayPal or Card, we would kindly ask that all items arepaid for within 48 hours and collected within 7 working days, we can hold allpaid items for 14 days free of charge, there after a £20 a week storage feewill apply. We have long term storage which is very economically priced, we arehappy to hold stock for as long as needed providing it is arranged prior to thepurchase

If sold items aren’t collected within three monthsand no arrangements have been made for long term storage you will forfeit theitem and payment

CONDITION

Please view the very detailed pictures astheyform part of the descriptionpertaining to the condition. Please also ask any questionsbefore you offerand not after, all of our items are sold as seen and as listed

Royal House Antiques cannot be held liable for anyindependent assumptions made regarding the items we sell, if you are unsure onany point, please feel free to ask for clarity

Please note vintage period and original items suchas leather seating will always have natural patina in the form of creasing andwear, we recommend annual waxing to ensure no moisture is lost, also hand dyedleather is not recommended to sit in direct sunlight for prolonged periods oftime as it will dry out and fade

IMPORT DUTY

Most countries charge some kind of import dutyhowever almost all of our items won’t incur any charges as the items are exemptfrom tax due to the age and materials used

For European deliveries the price you will bequoted will include all clearance documentation and any customs charges sothere won’t be any additional fees

For international deliveries such as the UnitedStates there can be some import duty to pay and or a clearance fee, I wouldestimate that 99% of all deliveries clear customs without being stopped foreither

All duties are the responsibility of the purchaserwho is the importer, they can’t be covered by the seller or shipping agent orfactored in with additional retrospective discounts

RETURNS

Royal House Antiques offers a no quibble returnpolicy if the item is not as described, if there are any issues with the pieceyou will be refunded in full once the item has been returned and inspectedwithin 14 days, alternatively if there is a small issue, we can discuss findinga mutual resolution that makes all parties happy

We don’t offer a sale on approval service whichmeans you can purchase the item, have it delivered and if you simply don’t likeit, return it, this comes under change of mind or doesn’t fit. There is a lotof time, money and work involved in transporting goods around the world, thecosts incurred can be vast so my advice would be if you are unsure on a pieceplease ask as many questions as you like to make sure you understand everythingbefore you buy, if you are still unsure then please either arrange a viewing inperson or if that’s not possible then don’t buy from an online retailer,perhaps look for a local gallery instead