西周 青銅牛

the stocky animal cast standing four square with its head turned to the right, the body with a pattern of recessed F-shaped motifs, with spirals to the hind and forelegs, the short tail curled over the near flank, the head with its mouth open, with two long grooved horns and a diamond motif on the forehead, the underside open, the legs of hollow C-section, the bronze patinated to a smooth pale green tone 

山中商會，倫敦
Mary Cohen 收藏
倫敦蘇富比1970年6月14日，編號55
戴潤齋收藏
紐約蘇富比2011年3月22日，編號39

《Ancient Chinese Bronzes》，山中商會，倫敦，1925年12月，編號28

There is a crack encircling the neck possibly suggesting the head has been reattached. There is a filled aperture on the back measuring approx. 5 cm, which was once the place for a support. There is a casting seam near the right hind leg with a consolidated associated crack measuring approx. 5 cm. The surface with expected encrustation. X-Ray available upon request.
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.

Robustly cast in the form of a buffalo, this figure embodies the characteristics of Zhou sculpture, demonstrating the craftsmen's attempt to capture the vital energy of creatures rather than a precise and naturalistic rendering. The muscular legs and bulky body emphasize the strength of the creature, its power accentuated by the swirling linear pattern that rises from the sturdy legs and the stylized facial features with large curled horns. The open mouth and turned head give a feeling of suspended motion or latent energy.

In its powerful depiction, this figure points to the important role buffalos played in agriculture. Important accomplishments of the Zhou dynasty included advancements in irrigation, such as drainage, waterways, canals and dams. They developed iron tools during this time, including iron-tipped ox-drawn ploughs. Furthermore, soldiers wore either a sleeveless coat of buffalo or rhinoceros hide or boiled leather armor for protection.

A number of buffalos of this type are recorded and are believed to have been used as stands or feet for large vessels. Some face right while others face left, indicating they came in pairs or fours. See a closely related buffalo, possibly the companion to this piece, with the head turned in the opposite direction, illustrated in Tch’ou Tӧ-yi, Bronzes Antiques de la Chine Appartenant a C.T. Loo & Cie, Paris, 1924, pl. 19.

Related figures with sockets on the back are more commonly known; one from Earl and Irene Morse and Stoclet Collections, illustrated and exhibited on numerous occasions including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, in 1982, was sold in these rooms, 3rd December 1986, lot 18; another was exhibited in Chinesische Kunst, Preussische Akademie de Künste, Berlin, 1929, cat. no. 9; one, from the Kunstindustrimuseum, Copenhagen, was included in The Exhibition of Early Chinese Bronzes, Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, Stockhom, 1933, cat. no. XX; another in the Pillsbury Collection, is published in Bernhard Karlgren, A Catalogue of Chinese Bronzes in the Alfred F. Pillsbury Collection, Minneapolis, 1952, pl. 105; and a fifth example sold in our London rooms, 13th-14th November 1972, lot 230.