An archaistic gilt-splashed bronze vessel, gui 17th Century

of archaic bronze gui form, the deep rounded body supported on a high foot, the sides applied with angular zoomorphic handles, finely cast around the exterior withtwo bold taotie masks with central vertical flange, the foot with a band of highly stylised 'S'-shaped kui dragons on a leiwen ground, the surface of the bronze with a russet patina with irregular gold splashes, the underside of the base impressed with an apocryphal twelve-character Xuande mark