Archaic China
See also : Ritual bronzes Horse Glass and crystal Glass < 1900 Musical instrument Chinese instrument Chinese calligraphy
Chronology : Origin 600 BCE - CE 1-1000
Chronology : Origin 600 BCE - CE 1-1000
Shang Dynasty in Anyang
Intro
In terms of Shang ritual objects, the chronological mark is the tomb of Fu Hao, closed about 3,250 years ago and discovered untouched in 1976 with 1,800 objects in various materials that constitute a fabulous time capsule. Fu Hao was the consort of a Shang emperor who resided in the new 'Yinxu' capital of that dynasty in present-day Anyang.
The bronze achieved a tremendous development, both as the ideal material for making ritual utensils and also, already, as art. This alloy of copper and tin thus succeeded to pure copper whose resistance is lower.
Many different forms of vessels were used for keeping millet wine or cooking food. They are more or less carved depending on the social rank of their owner. The best known figure being the monster face named taotie. As in Egypt, these pieces often accompanied the burial of the dead.
Many archaic bronze shapes copy ceramic wares that predate Yinxu.
The bronze achieved a tremendous development, both as the ideal material for making ritual utensils and also, already, as art. This alloy of copper and tin thus succeeded to pure copper whose resistance is lower.
Many different forms of vessels were used for keeping millet wine or cooking food. They are more or less carved depending on the social rank of their owner. The best known figure being the monster face named taotie. As in Egypt, these pieces often accompanied the burial of the dead.
Many archaic bronze shapes copy ceramic wares that predate Yinxu.
1
Fangzun ex Fujita Museum
2017 SOLD for $ 37M by Christie's
Chinese history emerges from the mists of legend with the Shang dynasty that lasted more than five centuries. Bronze comes in supplement to the pottery and is used especially for ritual vessels. For the excitement of the archaeologists the Shang and Zhou bronzes have preserved a perfect condition thanks to a sufficient content of tin. Their finely incised decoration of tight mystical figures and motifs in reserves is neither corroded nor worn.
The long reign of Wu Din marks the culmination of the Shang around 3250 years ago. He resides in the new capital Yinxu which is today in the territory of the city of Anyang.
The tomb of Fu Hao, discovered in 1976, had never been visited by looters. This wife of Wu Din had a considerable political influence, even becoming the supreme general of the armies. Her tomb is a complete catalog of the art of the Shang, including 1800 pieces mainly in jade, bone, bronze and stone, not forgetting 6,900 cowry shells that served as money and 16 skeletons of sacrificed slaves.
The ritual bronzes of the Shang had a wide variety of shapes suitable for storage and cooking. The rites defined the quantities of sacrificial vessels authorized according to the social position. Under the Zhou who overthrew the Shang the king could use 9 ding and 8 gui while a nobleman was limited to 3 ding and 2 gui. The tomb of Fu Hao contained the incredible quantity of 200 ritual bronzes.
On March 15, 2017, Christie's dispersed the Chinese art collection of the Fujita Museum in Osaka, including four Shang bronzes : a fangzun, a fanglei, a pou and a gong. The catalog indicates for each of these pieces an acquisition prior to 1940 by the museum. Their similarity to the bronzes of Fu Hao and the comparable or sometimes superior quality of their technique and of their mystical decoration suggests that these four vessels came from a same royal tomb. They have kept their cover, except of course the zun which never has one.
Lot 523, sold for $ 37M from a lower estimate of $ 6M, was a 52 cm high vessel with a complex three-body shape. By its large flared mouth (zun) of square section (fang), it is a fangzun.
Please watch the video shared by Christie's to introduce the sale.
The long reign of Wu Din marks the culmination of the Shang around 3250 years ago. He resides in the new capital Yinxu which is today in the territory of the city of Anyang.
The tomb of Fu Hao, discovered in 1976, had never been visited by looters. This wife of Wu Din had a considerable political influence, even becoming the supreme general of the armies. Her tomb is a complete catalog of the art of the Shang, including 1800 pieces mainly in jade, bone, bronze and stone, not forgetting 6,900 cowry shells that served as money and 16 skeletons of sacrificed slaves.
The ritual bronzes of the Shang had a wide variety of shapes suitable for storage and cooking. The rites defined the quantities of sacrificial vessels authorized according to the social position. Under the Zhou who overthrew the Shang the king could use 9 ding and 8 gui while a nobleman was limited to 3 ding and 2 gui. The tomb of Fu Hao contained the incredible quantity of 200 ritual bronzes.
On March 15, 2017, Christie's dispersed the Chinese art collection of the Fujita Museum in Osaka, including four Shang bronzes : a fangzun, a fanglei, a pou and a gong. The catalog indicates for each of these pieces an acquisition prior to 1940 by the museum. Their similarity to the bronzes of Fu Hao and the comparable or sometimes superior quality of their technique and of their mystical decoration suggests that these four vessels came from a same royal tomb. They have kept their cover, except of course the zun which never has one.
Lot 523, sold for $ 37M from a lower estimate of $ 6M, was a 52 cm high vessel with a complex three-body shape. By its large flared mouth (zun) of square section (fang), it is a fangzun.
Please watch the video shared by Christie's to introduce the sale.
A Late Shang Dynasty Bronze Ritual Wine Vessel from the Fujita Museum sold for $37,207,500, a #worldauctionrecord for an archaic bronze. pic.twitter.com/VcxYG3BPkF
— Christie's (@ChristiesInc) March 16, 2017
2
Fanglei ex Fujita Museum
2017 SOLD for $ 34M by Christie's
In the auction sale of the Chinese collection of the Fujita Museum by Christie's on March 15, 2017, lot 524, sold for $ 34M from a lower estimate of $ 5M, was a fanglei 63 cm high including its cover.
By comparison the Father Ji's fanglei, sold for $ 9.2M by Christie's in 2001, is 64 cm high without its lid which is lost. Ji's is dated from the Shang-Zhou transition two centuries later.
By comparison the Father Ji's fanglei, sold for $ 9.2M by Christie's in 2001, is 64 cm high without its lid which is lost. Ji's is dated from the Shang-Zhou transition two centuries later.
A Bronze Ritual Wine Vessel & Cover, Fanglei, from the Late Shang Dynasty from the Fujita Museum sold for $33,847,500 #AsianArtWeek pic.twitter.com/FIfq9JsYxm
— Christie's (@ChristiesInc) March 16, 2017
3
Pou ex Fujita Museum
2017 SOLD for $ 27M by Christie's
In the auction sale of the Chinese collection of the Fujita Museum by Christie's on March 15, 2017, lot 525, sold for $ 27M from a lower estimated $ 4M, was a pou 57 cm high.
Its two-body shape with a round belly on a truncated cone base is archaic but its decoration is comparable to the other pieces in the sale.
Its two-body shape with a round belly on a truncated cone base is archaic but its decoration is comparable to the other pieces in the sale.
A Late Shang Dynasty Massive Bronze Ritual Wine Vessel and Cover, Pou, from the Fujita Museum sold for $27,127,500 #AsianArtWeek pic.twitter.com/v1HPYtI9BA
— Christie's (@ChristiesInc) March 16, 2017
4
Ram Shaped Gong ex Fujita Museum
2017 SOLD for $ 27M by Christie's
The bronze art for Chinese vessels was diversified at the end of the Shang dynasty, from 3300 to 3050 years ago. The various shapes are adapted to their ritual uses. Li, yi, lei, fangyi, fanglei and hu examples were previously discussed in this column.
The gong and the zun may both become zoomorphic with a high degree of three-dimensional realism. The zun is designed for its ease of pouring, with a spout lined with broad lips. The gong or guang is an open vessel equipped with a removable lid over its entire upper surface.
On March 15, 2017, Christie's sold for $ 27M from a lower estimate of $ 6M a gong in the form of a ram 22 cm long, lot 526 estimated $ 6M. This piece is de-accessioned from the Fujita Museum in Osaka.
The back of the beast consists of the lid which is elongated to the superb head with its C-shaped horns. The body including the cover is embellished in shallow relief with the same traditional motifs as in the geometrically shaped vessels : taotie, stylized beasts. The thick legs ensure the stability of the vase above a stove. The back is surmounted by a dragon and a bird positioned like a handle.
The catalog of the auction house considers twelve other complete quadruped gong or zun examples of Shang period, all of them kept in museums : buffalos, elephants, fabulous animals, a boar, an elephant. The last one offered at auction was a buffalo zun in 1988.
Considering the sacred or sacrificial use of some of these animals, the extreme rarity of these pieces may surprise. It is probably due to a high difficulty of execution.
The gong and the zun may both become zoomorphic with a high degree of three-dimensional realism. The zun is designed for its ease of pouring, with a spout lined with broad lips. The gong or guang is an open vessel equipped with a removable lid over its entire upper surface.
On March 15, 2017, Christie's sold for $ 27M from a lower estimate of $ 6M a gong in the form of a ram 22 cm long, lot 526 estimated $ 6M. This piece is de-accessioned from the Fujita Museum in Osaka.
The back of the beast consists of the lid which is elongated to the superb head with its C-shaped horns. The body including the cover is embellished in shallow relief with the same traditional motifs as in the geometrically shaped vessels : taotie, stylized beasts. The thick legs ensure the stability of the vase above a stove. The back is surmounted by a dragon and a bird positioned like a handle.
The catalog of the auction house considers twelve other complete quadruped gong or zun examples of Shang period, all of them kept in museums : buffalos, elephants, fabulous animals, a boar, an elephant. The last one offered at auction was a buffalo zun in 1988.
Considering the sacred or sacrificial use of some of these animals, the extreme rarity of these pieces may surprise. It is probably due to a high difficulty of execution.
Christie’s NY to Offer Rare Chinese Art from Fujita Museum at 2017 Spring Sale https://t.co/Ag1ow96cfp #Auctions pic.twitter.com/5puxLHtGHv
— ARTINFO HongKong (@ARTINFOHongKong) October 23, 2016
5
Tiger and Owl Gong
2021 SOLD for $ 8.6M by Christie's
On March 18, 2021, Christie's sold for $ 8.6M from a lower estimate of $ 4M a 30 cm long gong-type bronze, lot 505.
Gong and zun were the two forms of vessels used for pouring ritual wine during the Shang Dynasty. The gong is a covered boat, arguably easier to handle. The removable lid is accurately placed on the container. They poured without removing it.
The gong that comes for sale is doubly zoomorphic, with a fierce tiger in the front and an owl in the back. The feline has two rows of square teeth between which it spits a smoke when the boiling wine is poured. The two animal heads are in the round on the lid and the rest of the bodies is complete in low relief. The sides of the gong are lavishly decorated with mythical beasts, without taotie.
Six examples of this hybrid model are known, two of which were in Fu Hao's tomb in Anyang. The collection created to accompany this royal concubine into the afterlife forms a complete catalog of the Shang liturgical pieces around 1200 BCE.
The rarity of this model and the similarity of the six examples suggest that these bronzes came from the same workshop. Fu Hao's two gongs are inscribed with her name. The gong for sale has inside the container the wei type pictogram (according to the modern designation) surrounded by four clockwise imprints of a four-toe foot. The gong of the same model kept at the Cernuschi Museum has the same pictogram, which could identify a dignitary of the same rank as Fu Hao.
The abuse of wine harmed the sacred ritual : the Zhou suppressed the use of the gong.
Gong and zun were the two forms of vessels used for pouring ritual wine during the Shang Dynasty. The gong is a covered boat, arguably easier to handle. The removable lid is accurately placed on the container. They poured without removing it.
The gong that comes for sale is doubly zoomorphic, with a fierce tiger in the front and an owl in the back. The feline has two rows of square teeth between which it spits a smoke when the boiling wine is poured. The two animal heads are in the round on the lid and the rest of the bodies is complete in low relief. The sides of the gong are lavishly decorated with mythical beasts, without taotie.
Six examples of this hybrid model are known, two of which were in Fu Hao's tomb in Anyang. The collection created to accompany this royal concubine into the afterlife forms a complete catalog of the Shang liturgical pieces around 1200 BCE.
The rarity of this model and the similarity of the six examples suggest that these bronzes came from the same workshop. Fu Hao's two gongs are inscribed with her name. The gong for sale has inside the container the wei type pictogram (according to the modern designation) surrounded by four clockwise imprints of a four-toe foot. The gong of the same model kept at the Cernuschi Museum has the same pictogram, which could identify a dignitary of the same rank as Fu Hao.
The abuse of wine harmed the sacred ritual : the Zhou suppressed the use of the gong.
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Shang-Zhou Father Ji's Fanglei
2001 SOLD for $ 9.2 M by Christie's
The vase of Father Ji is outstanding by its monumental size, 64 cm high, and by the superb quality of its bronze casting.
This ritual wine vessel is a fanglei with square section, one of the most prestigious types that reached its apogee 3100 years ago in the transitional period between the Shang and the Western Zhou. It does not have its cover.
Its decoration in high relief over multiple registers meets a classic iconography but is particularly abundant and expressive : taotie, animals, dragons, masks. It includes an inscription in six characters: Father Ji made on commission (or commissioned) this sacred vessel.
This exceptional piece was sold by Christie's for $ 9.2M on March 20, 2001.
Please watch the video shared by Christie's before it was removed from a sale scheduled for March 20, 2014. It had then be sold to a group of collectors in favor of the Hunan Provincial Museum.
This ritual wine vessel is a fanglei with square section, one of the most prestigious types that reached its apogee 3100 years ago in the transitional period between the Shang and the Western Zhou. It does not have its cover.
Its decoration in high relief over multiple registers meets a classic iconography but is particularly abundant and expressive : taotie, animals, dragons, masks. It includes an inscription in six characters: Father Ji made on commission (or commissioned) this sacred vessel.
This exceptional piece was sold by Christie's for $ 9.2M on March 20, 2001.
Please watch the video shared by Christie's before it was removed from a sale scheduled for March 20, 2014. It had then be sold to a group of collectors in favor of the Hunan Provincial Museum.
Warring States Fang Hu
2020 SOLD for $ 8.3M by Sotheby's
Around 400 BCE the Zhou were forced to recognize the full independence of three kingdoms around Henan. Their inexorable decline opens the Warring States period which will put up to seven major states in competition. The Qin emerge victorious in 221 BCE and found the Chinese empire.
The wording Warring States wrongly evokes anarchy. This period instead opened up China to new life styles through the development of Confucianism and Taoism. The traditional sacrificial or funeral rites persist while taking into account the observation of nature and medicine. The taotie, which expressed the mystery of the spirits, disappear from the bronze vessels.
The technological evolution of bronze becomes multidisciplinary. In very thick walls, deep grooves are filled with precious materials that bring the colors : gold, silver, copper, malachite, turquoise. Bronze handles and zoomorphic elements are added.
The baluster-shaped hu is the most common vessel at that time for the ritual use of wine. On September 23, 2020, Sotheby's sold for $ 8.3M from a lower estimate of $ 2.5M a 35 cm high covered fang hu, lot 578. Please watch the video shared by the auction house. Fang means that the bottle has a square section. It is richly decorated with gold, silver and glass.
The gold was encrusted by hammering a sheet on a pattern of protruding knobs added after casting. The glass was fitted in diamond- or half diamond- shaped plaques of nine or six beads in hollow reserves between the gold bosses. Silver volutes decorate the dark brown bronze surface inlaid with green malachite. The slightly domed cover is surmounted by four animals in the round.
The use of glass, recently introduced in China, is extremely rare. The only other example from the same period of a bronze vessel inlaid with glass is a pair of hu discovered around 1930, known from photographs of the time.
Each glass bead has the shape of an eye, in a concentric polychromy. This design, which perhaps had magical significance, was produced for a very short period of time. Examples were found in the tomb of Marquis Yi of the principality of Zeng in Hubei, dated 433 BCE.
The sale of the fang hu, which had not been seen since 1938, allows a real rediscovery by the experts of the opulence reached in the time of the Warring States by the ritual bronzes of classical form.
The wording Warring States wrongly evokes anarchy. This period instead opened up China to new life styles through the development of Confucianism and Taoism. The traditional sacrificial or funeral rites persist while taking into account the observation of nature and medicine. The taotie, which expressed the mystery of the spirits, disappear from the bronze vessels.
The technological evolution of bronze becomes multidisciplinary. In very thick walls, deep grooves are filled with precious materials that bring the colors : gold, silver, copper, malachite, turquoise. Bronze handles and zoomorphic elements are added.
The baluster-shaped hu is the most common vessel at that time for the ritual use of wine. On September 23, 2020, Sotheby's sold for $ 8.3M from a lower estimate of $ 2.5M a 35 cm high covered fang hu, lot 578. Please watch the video shared by the auction house. Fang means that the bottle has a square section. It is richly decorated with gold, silver and glass.
The gold was encrusted by hammering a sheet on a pattern of protruding knobs added after casting. The glass was fitted in diamond- or half diamond- shaped plaques of nine or six beads in hollow reserves between the gold bosses. Silver volutes decorate the dark brown bronze surface inlaid with green malachite. The slightly domed cover is surmounted by four animals in the round.
The use of glass, recently introduced in China, is extremely rare. The only other example from the same period of a bronze vessel inlaid with glass is a pair of hu discovered around 1930, known from photographs of the time.
Each glass bead has the shape of an eye, in a concentric polychromy. This design, which perhaps had magical significance, was produced for a very short period of time. Examples were found in the tomb of Marquis Yi of the principality of Zeng in Hubei, dated 433 BCE.
The sale of the fang hu, which had not been seen since 1938, allows a real rediscovery by the experts of the opulence reached in the time of the Warring States by the ritual bronzes of classical form.
Tang - Horse by Han Gan
2017 SOLD for $ 17M including premium by Christie's
narrated in 2020
Silk painting in ink and colors already existed under the Han, before the invention of paper. As early as 550 CE, an art critic defines six principles to be considered for appreciating a figurative work. The first principle is not derogable : the artist must transfer his energy into his art. It is also the basis of calligraphic art.
The Tang are great protectors of the arts. Narrative paintings feature groups in complex situations, with picturesque detail. The Taizong emperor also inaugurates the Tang's passion for the horse, that indispensable auxiliary of the warrior. He commissions the portraits of his favorite horses to Yan Liben.
The Tang imperial horses are the subject of a selection, integrating the best foreign breeds. The peak is reached during the reign of Xuanzong. His stable is reputed to house 40,000 horses, some of which are specially trained to dance in front of the emperor. Polo, hunting and jousting are practiced with passion. The main horse painter is Chen Hong.
Around 750 CE the self-taught artist Han Gan is noted for his artistic talents and invited to collaborate with Chen Hong. Han Gan abandons stylization for realism. The portrait of a horse, sometimes with a rider or a groom, becomes his exclusive theme. Each animal is observed individually.
On March 15, 2017, Christie's sold at lot 509 for $ 17M including premium the image of a horse by Han Gan, 32 x 38 cm, very readable but heavily cracked. The animal with an elegant two-tone hair walks with a dignified slowness. The colophon of the Qianlong emperor includes no less than twelve imperial seal marks and the artwork is listed in the catalogue of his collection, the Shiqu Baoji.
Xuanzong's long reign is culturally splendid and politically catastrophic. The emperor had abandoned management to devote himself to pleasures. He was deposited in 756 CE after a short civil war. This date is probably the terminus ante quem for an original painting by Han Gan.
The Tang are great protectors of the arts. Narrative paintings feature groups in complex situations, with picturesque detail. The Taizong emperor also inaugurates the Tang's passion for the horse, that indispensable auxiliary of the warrior. He commissions the portraits of his favorite horses to Yan Liben.
The Tang imperial horses are the subject of a selection, integrating the best foreign breeds. The peak is reached during the reign of Xuanzong. His stable is reputed to house 40,000 horses, some of which are specially trained to dance in front of the emperor. Polo, hunting and jousting are practiced with passion. The main horse painter is Chen Hong.
Around 750 CE the self-taught artist Han Gan is noted for his artistic talents and invited to collaborate with Chen Hong. Han Gan abandons stylization for realism. The portrait of a horse, sometimes with a rider or a groom, becomes his exclusive theme. Each animal is observed individually.
On March 15, 2017, Christie's sold at lot 509 for $ 17M including premium the image of a horse by Han Gan, 32 x 38 cm, very readable but heavily cracked. The animal with an elegant two-tone hair walks with a dignified slowness. The colophon of the Qianlong emperor includes no less than twelve imperial seal marks and the artwork is listed in the catalogue of his collection, the Shiqu Baoji.
Xuanzong's long reign is culturally splendid and politically catastrophic. The emperor had abandoned management to devote himself to pleasures. He was deposited in 756 CE after a short civil war. This date is probably the terminus ante quem for an original painting by Han Gan.
756 Tang Guqin
2011 SOLD for RMB 115M by China Guardian
The qin is the traditional Chinese plucked string instrument. The antique variants are now designated as guqin.
The guqin is the first of the four treasures of the scholar, ahead of Chinese go, calligraphy and ink painting. It was known since ancient times and the Chinese tradition likes to assign it with a pre-dynastic origin. Confucius is quoted among the sages who improved the instrument.
The classical seven-string guqin provides a music of great subtlety facilitated by the dots of harmony distributed on the surface. The wooden back is also an invitation to the inscription of poems.
The Imperial guqin are of great rarity. One of them named Da Sheng Yi Yin (legacy of the Great Sage) was sold for RMB 115M by China Guardian on May 22, 2011, lot 3570.
Lacquered in black and brown, it wears a poem and a seal and its harmonics match the months of the Chinese calendar.
Its date possibly refers to the first year of the Suzong emperor of the Tang matching 756 CE, although four other interpretations are also proposed. It probably refers to a historical event instead of the manufacture date of the instrument.
It is piano shaped 120 cm long, in Fuxi style. Its color is chestnut with black strings below th seven emblems. Such qin with rounded neck and larger curvature are classified as palace instruments of the Tang.
The guqin is the first of the four treasures of the scholar, ahead of Chinese go, calligraphy and ink painting. It was known since ancient times and the Chinese tradition likes to assign it with a pre-dynastic origin. Confucius is quoted among the sages who improved the instrument.
The classical seven-string guqin provides a music of great subtlety facilitated by the dots of harmony distributed on the surface. The wooden back is also an invitation to the inscription of poems.
The Imperial guqin are of great rarity. One of them named Da Sheng Yi Yin (legacy of the Great Sage) was sold for RMB 115M by China Guardian on May 22, 2011, lot 3570.
Lacquered in black and brown, it wears a poem and a seal and its harmonics match the months of the Chinese calendar.
Its date possibly refers to the first year of the Suzong emperor of the Tang matching 756 CE, although four other interpretations are also proposed. It probably refers to a historical event instead of the manufacture date of the instrument.
It is piano shaped 120 cm long, in Fuxi style. Its color is chestnut with black strings below th seven emblems. Such qin with rounded neck and larger curvature are classified as palace instruments of the Tang.
Tang period copy of a calligraphy by Wang Xizhi
2010 SOLD for RMB 310M by China Guardian
The greatest masters of calligraphy pass on their knowledge to the literati. Under the Jin in the 4th century CE, Wang Xizhi achieves the supreme elegance with cursive calligraphy, to which his son Wang Xianzhi brings fluidity by writing each character in a single brush stroke.
On November 20-23, 2010, China Guardian sold for RMB 310M a fragment containing 4 lines on silk 25 x 14 cm of a poem by Wang Xizhi on the theme of a security wish. It is illustrated in the post sale article shared by BBC. This sheet has been separated into two pieces in ancient times.
Its cursive script is much in the style of Wang Xizhi. Experts believe that it was made in the Tang dynasty period. The auction house checked its provenance up to the time of the Yuan.
No autograph work by Wang Xizhi is surviving. The Qianlong emperor inscribed this manuscript twice. He considered it as important as another script from Wang Xizhi on the subject of the sunshine after heavy snow that was in the Imperial Collection.
On November 20-23, 2010, China Guardian sold for RMB 310M a fragment containing 4 lines on silk 25 x 14 cm of a poem by Wang Xizhi on the theme of a security wish. It is illustrated in the post sale article shared by BBC. This sheet has been separated into two pieces in ancient times.
Its cursive script is much in the style of Wang Xizhi. Experts believe that it was made in the Tang dynasty period. The auction house checked its provenance up to the time of the Yuan.
No autograph work by Wang Xizhi is surviving. The Qianlong emperor inscribed this manuscript twice. He considered it as important as another script from Wang Xizhi on the subject of the sunshine after heavy snow that was in the Imperial Collection.
masterpiece
Five Dynasties - Evening Colors over Autumn Mountains by Guan Tong
Taipei Palace Museum
The image is shared by Wikimedia.
