A RARE BRONZE RITUAL WINE VESSEL (ZUN) LATE SHANG DYNASTY

rising from a splayed foot to an everted rim, the central section cast in relief with two taotie masks with bulging eyes on a leiwen ground divided by narrow flanges between double bowstring bands, the interior with a three-character inscription, the dark brownish-green patina with some light malachite encrustation, wood stand, Japanese wood box (3)

Minao Hayashi, Inshu-jidai Seidoki-monyo no Kenkyu / Studies on Yin and Zhou Bronze Decoration: A Conspectus of Yin and Zhou Bronze Vessels, vol. II, Tokyo, 1986, pl. 2-467. 

As visible in the X-ray, the vessel has been repaired, and there are patches of filler around the neck. The interior and underside show signs of bronze disease that has been stabilized. There are nibbles around the mouth rim which is slightly uneven. Please note that this lot includes a stand, frame or other component made from a type of Chinese hardwood, which, if exported, will require a CITES permit to leave the United States.
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 present zun vessel belongs to a distinct category of late Shang and early Western Zhou dynasty bronzes characterized by the eccentric 'smiling mouth' formed below the taotie. The most famous example of this type is a zun in the Sackler collection, dated to the 11th century BC, and intricately cast with flanges and three registers of taotie masks, the central one bearing a toothy grin, illustrated in Robert W. Bagley, Shang Ritual Bronzes in the Arthur M. Sackler Collections,  Washington D.C., 1987, pl. 49 and front cover. A small number of zun from this category and of similar form to the present example are known, including one in the Idemitsu Museum, illustrated in Ancient Chinese Arts in the Idemitsu Collection, Tokyo, 1989, pl. 46; another excavated in 1999 and now in the Institute of Archaeology Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, illustrated in Wu Zhenfeng, Shangzhou qingtongqi mingwen ji tuxiang jicheng / Compendium of Inscriptions and Images of Bronzes from the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, vol. 20, Shanghai, 2012, pl. 11213; and a third sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 7th July 2003, lot 612. 

The box for this lot is inscribed with a note by Yuzo Sugimura, dated 1964.