A very rare archaic bronze ritual tripod food vessel (ding) Early to middle Shang dynasty

the deep U-shaped body supported on three conical legs, crisply cast below the slightly sloping everted rim and pair of upright loop handles with three high-relief taotie masks comprised of boss eyes and hooked ribbons to indicate the nose and horns, reserved on a plain ground and between double-line borders, the surface patina with malachite encrustation

Acquired by the present owner in the early 1990s; prior to that, on the Japanese art market in the early 1980s.

Min Chiu Society exhibition, 1999 - 2000.
Hong Kong Museum of Art, 2001 - 2006.

There is one leg with an old stress crack running vertically and radiating two opposing horizontal cracks. UV light shows that the leg was restored to the bottom of the vessel. The vessel is in otherwise good condition.
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.

This type of ding with pointed legs is characteristic of ritual bronzes from the pre-Anyang period of the Shang dynasty. Compare a vessel of similar form and a similar design between bands of small rings, in the Shanghai Museum, illustrated in Zhongguo qingtongqi quanji, vol. 1, Beijing, 1996, pl. 31; and another, excavated from Hui county, Henan province, ibid., pl. 27. Compare also a somewhat earlier ding in the Shanghai Museum, with blade feet, ibid., pl. 39.