A small archaistic gold and silver-inlaid bronze pouring vessel (Guang), Ming dynasty

Spink & Son Ltd., London, 1980s.

Of bold archaic form, the present ewer is inlaid with an intricate leiwen background that frames and accentuates imposing taotie masks and dragons in high relief. Ulrich Hausmann’s comparisons with Song dynasty bronzes suggest that the current vessel may also be suitably attributed to the Song or early Ming. Compare an inlaid bronze gui of similar decorative style, bearing the mark of famed Ming artisan Hu Wenming, exhibited in Arts from the Scholar’s Studio, Oriental Ceramic Society, Hong Kong, 1986, cat. no. 73; and a ding from the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, illustrated in Rose Kerr, Later Chinese Bronzes, London, 1990, pl. 41.