An archaic bronze ritual wine vessel (jue) Shang Dynasty, 13th / 12th Century BC

supported on three splayed blade legs, the deep U-shaped body crisply cast in low-relief with upright lappet blades emerging from a band of taotie masks, the faces with raised bosses for eyes centered and divided by notched flanges and reserved on a leiwen ground, interrupted on one side by a loop handle issuing from a bovine mask, beneath a long channeled spout opposite a raised point forming the rim, surmounted by a pair of rectangular posts rising to mushroom-cap finials decorated with whorl patterns, cast with a single pictogram below the handle, the surface covered with light encrustation

Sotheby's London, 13th June 1998, lot 14.

The vessel is in good condition with crisp casting and patches of cuprite and malachite encrustation. UV light shows that the raised point opposite the spout, and the leg beneath it (shown as the back leg in the catalogue image) appear to have had some restoration.
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.

Compare a similar jue from the Concordia House Collection sold in these rooms, 19th March 2007, lot 74; and another on 20th March 2007, lot 528.