THE BO XIU FU DING A LARGE BRONZE RITUAL FOOD VESSEL LATE WESTERN ZHOU DYNASTY, 9TH-8TH CENTURY BC

the deep rounded body supported on three cabriole legs, decorated on the neck with a frieze of six stylized dragons with raised central eyes spiralled by whorl-like bodies above a single bowstring band, the everted rim set with a pair of upright loop handles, each detailed with two grooves on the outer side, a fourteen-character inscription on the inside wall, with a smooth dark olive patina

Private Japanese collection.

The x-ray suggests that this piece is in overall good condition. There are small holes on the surface, which are caused by corrosion.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This large ding vessel is representative of a classical form introduced in the late Western Zhou period. Ding vessels of similar form include the Mao Gong Ding in the Taipei Palace Museum, published in Masterworks of Chinese Bronze in the National Palace Museum, Japan, 1970, no. 10; the Song Ding from the Qing imperial collection, still in Palace Museum, published in Bronzes in the Palace Museum, Beijing, 1999, p. 194, no. 184; the Bo Da Zhu Zhui Ding in the Shanghai Museum, discussed and illustrated by Chen Peifen, Xiashangzhou qingtongqi yanjiu (Researches on Bronzes from the Xia Shang and Zhou Dynasties), Shanghai, 2004, vol. 4, pp. 416-417. Compare also the Han Huang Fu Ding with a very similar decoration, but of different form, excavated from Shangkang village, Fufeng county, Shaanxi province, now in the Shaanxi History Museum and illustrated by Jessica Rawson, Western Zhou Ritual Bronzes from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, Washington D.C., 1990, vol. IIB, p. 299.

The box for this lot is inscribed with a research note written by Professor Matsumaru Michio, dated 1988.