AN ARCHAIC BRONZE RITUAL VESSEL, DING SHANG DYNASTY

the deep U-shaped body with flattened everted rim, cast with two small upright loop handles above a narrow band of six gui dragons with raised eyes formed by hooked scrolls and cast in low relief, the body with a broad band of raised bosses on a ground of diamond shapes, all raised on three columnar legs, a single pictogram cast to the centre of the interior, the light-green surface patina with patches of malachite encrustation

Sotheby's London, 11th December 1979, lot 25.

This finely cast ding is generally in good condition, but has areas of encrustation to the interior, the legs and the exterior of the base. There is also some smaller areas of encrustation to the rim. There is a 0.5cm split to the rim next to one of the handles and an area of restoration 0.7cm to the other side of the same handle.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The pictogram on this vessel possibly represents a stylized version of the character ding.

A closely related ding, in the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, Stockholm, is illustrated in Bernhard Kalgren, 'New Studies on Chinese Bronzes', Bulletin of the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, no. 9, 1937, pl. XXXII, fig. 132; another from the collection of Alan and Simone Hartman, published in Christian Deydier, Chinese Bronzes, Fribourg, 1980, pl. 14, was sold in these rooms, 3^rd December 1963, lot 171, and again in our New York rooms, 19^th March 1997, lot 2; and a third vessel was also sold in our New York rooms, 19^th September 2001, lot 8.  

Compare also two vessels of this form and decoration excavated from the late Shang tomb of a consort of King Wu Ding (1324-1265 B.C.), published in Tomb of Lady Hao at Yinxu in Anyang, Beijing, 1980, pl. XI, figs. 1 and 2.

See also a ding with a similar motif of a lozenge diaper enclosing 'nipples' on the body, with plain legs and leiwen design around the rim, included in Shaanxi chutu Shang Zhou qingtonqi, vol. 1, Beijing, 1979, p. 42, pl. 27; and another from the collection of Professor Bullock included in the exhibition Ancient Chinese Bronzes from an English Private Collection, Eskenazi, London, 1999, cat.no. 4. Another related example can be found illustrated in Selected Bronzes in the Collection of the Poly Art Museum, Beijing, 1999, pl. 4; and a vessel excavated in 1985 from a tomb site near Anyang, Henan province, is published in Zhongguo qingtongqi quanji, vol. 2, Beijing, 1997, pl. 23.