A RARE MASSIVE SILVER-WIRE INLAID BRONZE 'CHILONG' VASE 17TH CENTURY

of impressive size, the pear-shaped body with a gently waisted neck rising to a galleried rim, flanked by opposing loop handles inlaid with classic scrolls and surmounted by chilong heads, the body finely inlaid with nine dragons, one spewing water from its mouth, the others contesting 'flaming pearls', all amid a ground of dense swirling clouds interspersed with bats, the shoulder overlaid with a writhing chilong grasping a long double-headed lingzhi sprig in its mouth, all between key-fret bands encircling the mouth and rim of the pedestal foot, the recessed base inlaid with a seal mark reading Xuande er nian Shisou zhizao (made by Shisou in the second year of Xuande), enclosed within a double rectangle and surrounded by a chilong grasping a long double-headed lingzhi sprig, wood stand (2)

Acquired in California in the 1950s, and thence by descent.

The vase is in overall good condition. There is a slight dent to one side. There is a large original ovoid patch to the body beneath one handle that is of a slightly paler color. There are visible solder lines to the high relief dragons. The surface with expected wear and small nicks. The base is slightly uneven.
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.

Most objects bearing Shisou marks are silver-wire inlaid and made for the scholar's desk, such as the example sold in these rooms, 21st March 2015, lot 752, and those illustrated in Robert D. Mowry, China's Renaissance in Bronze, Phoenix Art Museum, 1993, cat. nos 17 and 18; or religious images such as the Guanyin sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 1st June 2015, lot 816. Apart from a silver-inlaid standing figure of Guanyin (39 1/2  in., 100 cm) sold in New York in the selling exhibition, Footsteps of the Buddha: Masterworks from Across the Buddhist World, September 2014, no. 22, the present vase appears to be the largest of its type known.

While the Shisou mark is synonymous with fine quality, the origins of the name remain mysterious. The large number of vessels and figures bearing this name, spanning a production range from the 17th all the way through to the 20th century, indicates that Shisou represents more than the late Ming dynasty monk of the same name.  According to Rose Kerr, op. cit., p. 65, Shisou may be a trade mark used by a number of entrepreneurs coordinating the work of several makers. Gerard Tsang and Hugh Moss in Arts from the Scholar’s Studio, Hong Kong, 1986, no. 157, p. 178, suggest that Shisou was a skilled late Ming dynasty metalsmith who rarely signed his works and that the signed work is a response to his fame. Sydney Moss in The Second Bronze Age: Later Chinese Metalwork, London, 1991, no. 12, asserts  that there are genuine Shisou marked pieces and that the practice of making a piece with a Shisou mark is an act of recognition akin to putting Xuande marks on bronze censers and Jingtai marks to cloisonné enameled pieces.

The mark on the present example is therefore particularly noteworthy because it includes not only the name of Shisou, but also a Xuande date, in homage to both to its fine inlay and superb casting.