An archaic bronze ritual pouring vessel (Yi), Late Western Zhou dynasty | 西周末 青銅獸體紋龍鋬匜

Collection of Harcourt Johnstone (1895-1945), acquired in June 1929.

Christie's London, 10th June 1996, lot 23.

Collection of Sir Peter Moores (1932-2016).

Sotheby's London, 9th November 2011, lot 388.

Harcourt Johnstone (1895-1945) 收藏，得於1929年6月

倫敦佳士得1996年6月10日，編號23

彼得•摩爾斯爵士 (1932-2016) 收藏

倫敦蘇富比2011年11月9日，編號388

Bronze yi emerged as a ritual vessel form during the late Western Zhou period and continued in popularity until the Warring States period. The function of yi has been documented since the earliest stages of Chinese history; yi were used together with water basins, pan, in ritual ceremonies to cleanse hands. It was stipulated in one of the ancient Chinese classics, Liji / The Book of Rites, that an elder would pour water from the yi for the ritual performers to wash their hands before proceeding with sacred rites, and the clan's junior member would concurrently carry a pan to collect the water. Yi had been a tangible symbol reflecting the ritual etiquette of royalty and the nobility during the Zhou dynasty. 

Zhu Fenghan further notes in his book that bronze yi, in addition to serving as water implements during ritual ceremonies, also functioned as wine vessels in the Eastern Zhou dynasty. According to the inscription of the Spring and Autumn period Lu Da Si Tu Yuan Yi 魯大司徒元匜, discovered in Qufu county, Shandong province during the Republic period, currently preserved in the Shandong Museum, Jinan, the vessel is identified as a 'drinking vessel' (see Zhu Fenghan, Zhongguo qingtongqi zonglun / A Comprehensive Survey of Chinese Bronzes, vol. 1, Shanghai, 2009, p. 288).

The present vessel has passed through the hands of important collectors in the West, including Harcourt Johnstone and Sir Peter Moores. Harcourt Johnstone was a British politician and a passionate collector of Chinese art. He was a client of renowned London dealers of the last century, such as Bluett & Sons and John Sparks. Johnstone's Chinese art collection was largely sold in our London rooms, 13th June 1940. Known as one of the United Kingdom's most eminent philanthropists, Sir Peter Moores was not only a highly successful businessman, but also an accomplished collector of Chinese art. His deep interest and enthusiasm materialized in the formation of an outstanding collection of Chinese archaic bronzes, which are housed at Compton Verney in Warwickshire, United Kingdom.