A very fine archaic bronze ritual suspension bell (Zhong) Late Western Zhou / Spring and Autumn period

the body of barrel form with a cresent-shaped opening, finely cast on each side with three rows of projecting bosses divided by bands of dragon zoomorphs within narrow raised borders, set between a plain vertical wedge-shaped reserve, all above an elaborate design formed from a single ferocious taotie with an intricately coiled tail, grasping two small writhing serpents in its front claws, extremely finely detailed overall with scroll and feather-like accents, the flat top with two pairs of stylized confronting dragons surrounding the faceted shank, skirted by a rounded band cast with undulating wave borders and a thick suspension loop issuing from a feline mask, the smooth gray patina with patches of malachite and some azurite 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.

UV light revealed that the bell is structurally in very good condition. The casting is very crisp and there are areas of light malachite encrustation. A stand has been made for this piece.
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.

The present zhong is most impressive for its decoration that includes fine details such as the animal mask on the loop which is extremely rare.  This bell is comparable with an inscribed bell in the Fufeng County Museum, Shaanxi province, cast with a bovine figure on the loop, illustrated in Zhongguo qingtongqi quanji, vol. 5, Beijing, 1996, pl. 185; a bell in the Freer Gallery, Washington, included in Zhongguo qingtongqi quanji, vol. 8, Beijing, 1995, pl. 110, with a similar animal mask on the loop; and a bell published in Jenny So, Eastern Zhou Ritual Bronzes from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, vol. III, New York, 1995, pl. 78, also with an animal mask adorning the suspension lung.  

Related bells decorated with entwining zoomorphic design can also be found with the loop finely cast as a pair of confronting dragons grasping the loop in their mouths; see a bell in the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, illustrated in George W. Weber Jr., The Ornaments of Late Chou Bronzes, New Brunswick, 1973, pl. 61; and a set of five bells, excavated at Jinshengcun, Taiyuan, Shanxi province, published in Zhongguo qingtongqi quanji, vol. 8, Beijing, 1995, pls. 111 and 112, attributed to the Spring and Autumn period.

See further examples of related bells excavated from the pit burial at Qijia village, Fufeng county, Shaanxi province, illustrated in Shaanxi chutu Shang Zhou qingtongqi, vol. 2, Beijing, 1980, pls. 161-163; and a bell sold in these rooms, 15th June 1983, lot 126.