Description:

AN ARCHAIC BRONZE RITUAL FOOD VESSEL AND COVER, DOU
China, Eastern Zhou dynasty
H. 20,5 cm
The bowl raised on a high stem, the body cast with stylised motifs beneath bands of densely arranged S-scrolls, the sides set with a pair of loop handles, the same design repeated on the cover surrounding the everted finial decorated with interlacing designs, the pale green patina with malachite encrustations.
From a Franconian private collection, assembled between 1970 and 1995

Crisply cast in low relief with interlacing designs of repeated minuscule units, each composed of a diagonal braid with C-designs in its upper left and right corners, the present vessel is a fine example of grain receptacles used in ritual performances to worship the ancestors during the Eastern Zhou Period (771-256 BC).

The origin of the dou can be traced back to the shallow pottery tazza of the Longshan culture during the late Neolithic Period. The form continued to be in common use throughout the Shang and Zhou dynasties. It was in the Western Zhou period that attempts were made to embellish the simple pottery form by fashioning it from lacquer over a wood core, or casting it in bronze.

Bronze versions of the dou vessel, such as the present example, the standard shape being shallow bowls with straight vertical sides rising from tall pedestal feet, are likely to have developed during the Western Zhou period (1047-772 BC). Archaeological excavations suggest that the further refinement of the domed lid and the lug handles were added to the vessel at the beginning of the Eastern Zhou period. During the Eastern Zhou dynasty, dou vessels gradually replaced their gui counterpart to become the most essential grain containers in a ritual vessel set; see J.So, Eastern Zhou Ritual Bronzes in the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, London, 1996, pp.179-180. Compare the shape and fine decoration and its arrangement on the present vessel with a related bronze dou, late Spring and Autumn period, 6th century BC, illustrated by J.So, Eastern Zhou Ritual Bronzes in the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, London, 1996, no.24. A similar bronze ritual food vessel and cover, dou, 6th century BC, was sold at Christie's New York, 19 September 2013, lot 1108 - The stand partly rest., green corrosions

Bronzegefäß 'dou'
China, Östliche Zhou-Dynastie
H. 20,5 cm
Die Schale steht auf einem hohen Fup, der Korpus ist mit stilisierten Motiven unter Bändern aus dicht angeordneten S-Rollen besetzt, die Seiten sind mit einem Paar Schlaufenhenkeln versehen, das gleiche Muster wiederholt sich auf dem Deckel, der den mit Flechtmustern verzierten, umgedrehten Abschluss umgibt, blassgrüne Patina mit Malachitverkrustungen.
Aus einer fränkischen Privatsammlung, zusammengetragen zwischen 1970 und 1995

Das vorliegende Gefäß ist ein schönes Beispiel für Getreidegefäße, die in der Östlichen Zhou-Periode (771-256 v. Chr.) bei rituellen Darbietungen zur Verehrung der Ahnen verwendet wurden. Es ist in Flachrelief gegossen und weist verschlungene Muster aus sich wiederholenden winzigen Einheiten auf, die jeweils aus einem diagonalen Geflecht mit C-Motiven in den oberen linken und rechten Ecken bestehen.

Der Ursprung des Dou lässt sich auf die flache Tazza der Longshan-Kultur in der späten Jungsteinzeit zurückverfolgen. Die Form war während der Shang- und Zhou-Dynastien weiterhin gebräuchlich. In der westlichen Zhou-Periode versuchte man, die einfache Keramikform zu verschönern, indem man sie aus Lack über einem Holzkern herstellte oder sie in Bronze goss.

Bronzeversionen des Dou-Gefäßes, wie das vorliegende Exemplar, dessen Standardform flache Schalen mit geraden vertikalen Seiten sind, die auf hohen Sockelfüßen stehen, entwickelten sich wahrscheinlich in der westlichen Zhou-Periode (1047-772 v. Chr.). Archäologische Ausgrabungen deuten darauf hin, dass die weitere Verfeinerung des gewölbten Deckels und der Laschengriffe zu Beginn der Östli

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