A RARE ARCHAIC BRONZE 'DOUBLE OWL' RITUAL FOOD VESSEL (YOU) SHANG DYNASTY, 12TH CENTURY BC

of oval section, in the form of two addorsed owls, their rounded bodies supported on four stout legs, and crisply cast in low relief with four wings of simple curvilinear outline sweeping back to a pair of rings attached to a rope-twist handle, the domed cover cast on each side with a well-defined mask or owl face with two raised round eyes with recessed pupils, a prominent blunted beak and angular 'C'- scrolls defining the facial features, all below a central pyramidal knop decorated with cicada blades, the mottled green patina with some malachite and cuprite encrustation (2)

J.J. Lally & Co., New York.

Under optical, ultraviolet (UV) light and x ray examination the vessel is in overall good condition. The cover can not be removed from the body. There is a small original filled patch on the body and a very minor impression on the edge of one wing. As is common with archaic bronzes the patination is a result of cleaning with some small elements of enhancements. Dr. Anna Bennett has examined the vessel and notes, 'the stratigraphy of the corrosion products is in accordance with an archaeological bronze.'
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.

You vessels of this type belong to two groups - those with highly articulated surface decoration and those plainly decorated. The present lot belongs primarily to the latter but with some notable elements that distinguish it within the form. 

Compare a very similar one in Robert W. Bagley, Shang Ritual Bronzes in the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, Washington D.C.,1987, p. 368, no. 63. Bagley describes the evolution of the form from "notably primitive and inarticulate" (p. 370) to "painstakingly naturalistic" (p. 371) in reference to the archetypal form with intense surface decoration to final edition of the "perfect oval-bodied you" of a type similar to the example on offer.  Bagley describes the appearance of taotie masks on the lid and the innovative design change from downward curved beaks to upturned blunted hooks. The present double-owl you represents an interesting final step on the evolutionary ladder of this intriguing form.