An inscribed bronze vessel and cover, zhi, Early Western Zhou dynasty 西周初 矧父癸觶
An inscribed bronze vessel and cover, zhi,
Early Western Zhou dynasty
西周初 矧父癸觶
the base of the vessel and interior of the cover cast with a three-character inscription reading shen fu gui
銘文：矧父癸
overall 21.5 cm
Cover: A restored U-shape crack to rim; some flakes of the encrustations around the inscription probably due to cleaning.
Vessel: the body has been sympathetically restored, with malachite and azurite encrustations which is heavier on one side and on the interior of the vessel and on the foot; A further U-shape restored crack to the foot. X-ray is available upon request.
蓋：邊沿有一U形裂，蓋內銘文四周銅鏽剝落，或為清理所致。
器身專業修理，其中一側及器身外下半部分以及器內有明顯綠鏽，器足有一U形裂紋修補。X光影像可供索取。
The lot is sold in the condition it is in at the time of sale. The condition report is provided to assist you with assessing the condition of the lot and is for guidance only. Any reference to condition in the condition report for the lot does not amount to a full description of condition. The images of the lot form part of the condition report for the lot. Certain images of the lot provided online may not accurately reflect the actual condition of the lot. In particular, the online images may represent colors and shades which are different to the lot's actual color and shades. The condition report for the lot may make reference to particular imperfections of the lot but you should note that the lot may have other faults not expressly referred to in the condition report for the lot or shown in the online images of the lot. The condition report may not refer to all faults, restoration, alteration or adaptation. The condition report is a statement of opinion only. For that reason, the condition report is not an alternative to taking your own professional advice regarding the condition of the lot. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS ONLINE CONDITION REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE/BUSINESS APPLICABLE TO THE RESPECTIVE SALE.
Collection of Liu Tizhi (1879-1962).
A European private collection, acquired in the 1930s.
善齋劉體智（1879-1962年）
歐洲私人收藏，購於1930年代
Luo Zhenyu, Zhensongtang jigu yiwen [The Gathering of Ancient Writings at the Zhensongtang Studio], 1930, vol. 9, p. 23, no. 2 (inscription only).
Luo Fuyi, Sandai qinhan jinwen zhulubiao [List of bronze inscriptions of the Three Dynasties, Qin and Han], list 4, 1933, p. 33 (inscription only).
Liu Tizhi, Shanzhai jijin lu [The Records of Auspicious Bronzes in the Shanzhai Studio], 1935, vol. 4, p. 82
Liu Tizhi, Xiaojiaojinge jinwen taben [Rubbings of Archaic Bronze Inscriptions at the Xiaojiaojingge Studio], 1935, vol. 4, p. 73 (inscription only).
Wang Chen, Xu Yinwencun [Continuation of the Surviving Writings from the Yin Dynasty], 1935, vol. 2, p. 60, rubbing 1 (inscription only).
John Calvin Ferguson, Lidai zhulu jijin mu [List of bronzes in ancient records], Shanghai, 1937, p. 407, top (vessel recorded).
Luo Zhenyu, Sandai jijin wencun [Surviving writings from the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties], vol. 14, 1937, p. 47, rubbings 4-5.
Wang Xiantang, Guoshi jinshizhi gao [Manuscript of archaic bronze in Chinese history], 1945, vol. 2, section 6, no. 124.
Zhou Fagao, Sandai jijin wencun zhulubiao [List of the inscriptions from the surviving writings from the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties], vol. 2, Taipei, 1977, p. 593 (vessel recorded).
Sun Zhichu, Jinwen zhulu jianmu [Concise list of recorded bronze inscriptions], Beijing, 1981, p. 320, no. 5919 (vessel recorded).
Yan Yiping, Jinwen Zongji [Corpus of Bronze Inscriptions], Taipei, 1983, no. 6502.
The Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, ed., Yin Zhou jinwen jicheng xiuding zengbuben [Compendium of Yin and Zhou bronze inscriptions, revised and complementary edition], Beijing, 2007, no. 07116 (inscription only).
Liu Yu, Shang Zhou jinwen zhulu zongbiao [Comprehensive list of recorded Shang and Zhou bronze inscriptions], Beijing, 2008, p. 951, no. 6899 (vessel recorded).
Wu Zhenfeng, Shang Zhou qingtongqi mingwen ji tuxiang jicheng [Compendium of inscriptions and images of bronzes from Shang and Zhou dynasties], vol. 19, Shanghai, 2012, p. 326, no. 10471
羅振玉，《貞松堂集古遺文》，1930年，卷9，頁23，器2（銘文）
羅福頤校補，《三代秦漢金文著錄表》，1933年，卷5，頁8，器16（銘文）
劉體智，《善齋吉金錄》，1935年，卷4，頁82，發父癸觶
劉體智，《小校經閣金文拓本》，1935年，卷5，頁85，拓7-8，發父癸觶（銘文）
王辰，《續殷文存》，1935年，下卷，頁60，拓12，頁61，拓1（銘文）
福開森，《歷代著錄吉金目》，上海，1937年，頁407，上（器記錄）
羅振玉，《三代吉金文存》，1937年，卷14，頁47，拓4-5
王獻唐，《國史金石志稿》，1945年定稿，冊2，卷6，編號124
周法高，《三代吉金文存著錄表》，台北，1977年，下冊，頁593（器記錄）
孫稚雛，《金文著錄簡目》，北京，1981年，頁336，編號5919（器記錄）
嚴一萍，《金文總集》，台北，1983年，冊8，編號6502
中國社會科學院考古研究所編，《殷周金文集成：修訂增補本》，北京，2007年，冊5，編號6334（銘文）
劉雨，《商周金文著錄總表》，北京，2008年，頁951，編號6899（器記錄）
吳鎮烽，《商周青銅器銘文暨圖像集成》，上海，2012年，冊19，頁326，編號10471
Liu Tizhi had a strong passion for archaic language and archaeology and started collecting archaic bronzes and rare books after his resignation from General Manager of Ta-Ching Government Bank in 1935. Rong Geng (1894-1983) commented in his Shangzhou yiqi tongkao (A General Study of Archaic Bronzes in the Yin and Zhou Dynasties) that “Liu Tizhi has the biggest collection of bronzes among all Chinese collectors in the recent years.” In the 1950s, Liu Tizhi gave his collections of oracle bones and rare books to the Cultural Ministry, and they are now kept in the National Library and the Shanghai Library. His bronze collection was dispersed to major museums and private collections over the years, including the collection of King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden (1882-1973), the collection of Rong Geng, and the collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei. Shanzhai jijin lu (The Records of Auspicious Bronzes in the Shanzhai Studio) is one of only a few traditional Chinese catalogues which included both rubbings of inscriptions as well as line drawings of the vessels.
The Book of Rites, known as the Liji and the foundation of many ritual principles that arise in the later Imperial China, records that “at the ritual ceremonies of the ancestral temple, the highest in rank presented a jue cup, the honourable took a zhi, and the low rank took a jiao”. The three-character inscription indicates that the present zhi vessel dedicated to Father Shen Fu, was made by royal commission.
此矧父癸觶來源顯赫，為善齋劉體智（1879-1962年）清末民初傳世舊藏器。劉體智，字晦之，晚號善齋老人，安徽廬江人，晚清重臣四川總督劉秉璋（1826-1905年）之子，民國官員、大收藏家。劉體智曾任晚清戶部郎中、大清銀行安徽總辦、中國實業銀行上海分行總經理。劉體智博學多才，雅好收藏，自1935年辭去銀行總經理職務後，即埋首於文字音韻與文物考古之中，所藏以甲骨文、青銅器、古錢幣及善本古籍為大宗，曾聚鐘鼎六、七千器，被福開森（1866-1945年）讚為「民國以來收藏青銅器最多的人」。容庚也在其著錄《善齋彝器圖錄序》中述：「廬江劉體智先生收藏經籍書畫金石之富，海內屬望久矣。」
除了顯赫來源，此觶著錄亦豐富。台灣中央研究院歷史語言研究所《小校經閣金石文字》，收藏有原拓片。自清末民初至今重要金石研究專著，如羅振玉《貞松堂集古遺文》、羅福頤校補《三代金文著錄表》、劉體智《善齋吉金錄》等，均多有收錄。
《禮記．禮器》載：「宗廟之祭，尊者舉觶，卑者舉角。」矧父癸觶侈口，束頸，圓腹微鼓，器體扁圓，腹徑大於口徑，圈足較高。頸部以及足部獸眼突出，以雲雷紋填地，洗練簡約，更見典雅。上承子母口蓋，蓋面隆起，上有半環形紐。蓋面及頸、圈足分別飾凸弦紋。該觶鑄造規整，紋飾簡約，銹色自然堅實。