A RARE BRONZE 'DRAGON' POURING VESSEL SONG TO MING DYNASTY

of archaistic he form, the compressed globular body rising from a short flat tapered foot to a lipped rim, one side integrally cast with a spout as a curved dragon's head and neck, the opposing side with a loop handle in the form of a sinuous and scaly dragon's tail, the patina of a dark brown colour with malachite encrustation

Collection of Ulrich Hausmann, Nottingham, prior to 1999.
Sydney L. Moss Ltd., London, 1999.

Escape from the Dusty World: Chinese Paintings and Literati Works of Art, Sydney L. Moss Ltd., London, 1999, pp. 360-61 and p. 363, cat. no. 111.
Philip K. Hu, Later Chinese Bronzes - The Saint Louis Art Museum and Robert E. Kresko Collections, St. Louis, 2008, cat. no. 11.

There is expected oxidation to the surface and casting irregularities otherwise good condition with minor wear and bruises. There is some consolidation to the underside which may have been done during the casting.
"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."

This intriguing pouring vessel, skilfully cast as a dragon that has emanated into the form of a bowl, with the head becoming the spout and the tail the handle, is extremely rare, and no other example appears to be published in any museum or private collection. However, the modelling of the dragon head and texture of the bronze is reminiscent of an early Ming bronze zun vase, also from the collection of Ulrich Hausmann, illustrated in Escape from the Dusty World: Chinese Paintings and Literati Works of Art, Sydney L. Moss Ltd., London, 1999, pp. 362-65,  cat. no. 112, and offered at Christie's Hong Kong, 28th May 2014, lot 3101.

The form is inspired by archaic prototypes, but has been adapted and does not follow the exact form of any prototype. For an oval-mouthed, globular form he vessel with dragon-shaped ears in the Hubei Provincial Museum, Wuhan, see Pre-Qin Civilization in the Jianghan Region, The Art Museum, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1999, p. 91, cat. no. 45.