A SILVER-INLAID BRONZE HU-FORM VASE SHISOU MARK, 17TH / 18TH CENTURY

of square section with pear shape rising to a galleried rim, supported on a splayed foot, intricately inlaid in silver with a band of confronted dragons, the front and reverse each inscribed with a line from a poem by Tang dynasty poet Dou Chang followed by one seal, the sides set with opposing taotie mask handles and inlaid with a crane and a mythical beast, the base with two characters reading Shisou

There are minor nicks along the edges, minute dents to the side and base and other signs of age-consistent wear to the surface. There are rust stains in the interior, and small patches of green-encrustation inside the mouth and foot ring. The vase appears to be in overall 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.

The life dates and biography of Shisou are far from clear. In traditional connoisseurship, he is believed to have lived at the end of the Ming dynasty, although he is unrecorded in historical documents. The type of work associated with him is very fine silver inlay mostly executed in objects for the scholar's desk.

Many of the silver inlay bronzes with a Shisou mark are traditionally dated to the sixteenth or seventeenth century, including the four scholar’s objects in the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, illustrated by Rose Kerr, Later Chinese Bronzes, London, 1990, p. 64.

A closely related vessel of Shisou type in the Clague collection is illustrated by Robert Mowry, where he discusses the problem of Shisou in China's Renaissance in Bronze, Phoenix Art Museum, 1993, no. 17, pp. 94-97. A related vase with similar decorative themes from the collection of Ulrich Hausmann was sold in our Hong Kong rooms,  8th October 2014, lot 3361.