An archaic bronze ceremonial drum (Chunyu), Warring States period - Western Han dynasty | 戰國至西漢 青銅虎鈕錞于

Japanese Private Collection, acquired in the 1980s and 1990s.

Inouye Oriental Art, Tokyo.

日本私人收藏，得於1980年代至1990年代

井上オリエンタルアート，東京

The chunyu is often described as a bell and examples have been found in Warring States tombs together with other sets of bells, but it is classified as a drum in Jenny So, Eastern Zhou Ritual Bronzes from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, New York, 1995, p. 399, where it is stated that according to historical texts it was also used as a military drum to signal troops during battle.

The current example is remarkable for the quality of the tiger, finely cast depicted crouching on the cover, its stylized stripes well preserved. Similar pieces are known, particularly from southwestern China, generally with less crisply modeled tigers; see So, op.cit., pls 82 and 83; and Zhongguo qingtongqi quanji [Complete series on Chinese bronzes], vol. 13, Beijing, 1994, pls 184-6.

Chunyu vessels have been admired and treasured in Japanese collections. Another closely related bronze chunyu, acquired from Ikeda Kobijutsu in 1999, was sold at Christie's New York, 20th September 2013, lot 1457. It is particularly interesting to note that the current example has been utilized for ikebana (traditional Japanese flower arrangement), with the additional metal water container specially created to fit the vessel.