An Inscribed Octagonal Gold and Silver Inlaid Bronze Vessel By Shisou, Ming Dynasty, Jiajing-Wanli Period, Dated in Accordance with 1541 or 1601

cast in the form of a well head, decorated around the exterior with an inlaid gold design of the bagua (‘Eight Trigrams’), above and below a series of archaistic designs intricately inlaid in silver, of pairs of intertwined archaistic dragons but also with a taotie head design and two stylised floral designs with central, stylised lingzhi motifs, the slightly domed top with a narrow lipped opening, inlaid in gold and silver with a design of archaistic motifs set against a leiwen ground, the lip inlaid in silver with a foliate leiwen design, the foot an inlaid copper sheet cast with a square cartouche inscribed in intaglio with a zhuanshu inscription Xinchou juyue Chongyang mo gufa Shisou zhi (‘Made by Shisou in the chrysanthemum month, Chongyang festival, of the xinchou year following the ancient style’)

Nicholas Grindley, London, November 1982.

Gerard Tsang and Hugh Moss, Arts from the Scholar’s Studio, Fung Ping Shan Museum, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 1986, no. 157.

There are two 0.1cm chips to the underside of the vessel. There is other general surface wear. The gold inlay was professionally replaced in 2000 to restore the vessel to its original condition. Its previous condition is visible in the 1986 photo in Arts from the Scholar's Studio. Please note that the patina is much darker in reality than in the catalogue photo.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Little is known about the historic figure Shisou. The earliest reference in the Zhongguo meishujia renming cidian ('Dictionary of Chinese Artists') comes from the Luochuang xiaodu, and is presumably the same source that informed the similar information published in Zhongguo yishujia zhenglue ('Brief Introduction of Chinese Artists).  He is listed only as a late Ming dynasty monk without any further biographical information.  Large numbers of vessels and sculptures from the seventeenth to the twentieth century bear his name, sometimes in combination with the hall name, Jinyu tang (‘Hall of Prosperity’).  From this vast body of work it is difficult to tell what, if any, is from the hand of the monk himself, but the quality of this vessel, combined with its extremely rare documentary inscription, make a compelling case. 

This appears to be the only known dated Shisou-marked piece. The typically late Ming metalworker’s style of inlaying a separate copper base is reminiscent of vessels made by Hu Wenming, including lot 211 in this sale. The late Ming designation for Shisou in traditional connoisseurship might include any period within the 16^th and 17^th centuries.