宋 / 元 銅夔龍紋貫耳方壺

of archaistic hu form, the globular body cast with four angular edges and rising to a galleried square mouthrim, all supported on a slightly splayed super-elliptical foot, the neck flanked by a pair of tubular handles cast with a leiwen ground, the upper neck with a band enclosing archaistic motifs against a leiwen ground, the body similarly cast with two further registers enclosing archaistic floral designs, the bronze patinated to a dark coppery-brown colour

There is a crack to one of the corners, but it is stable. 0.2cm hole to one handle. Other minor chips and surface wear.
"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 powerful archaistic form of flower vessel, made for the altar or scholar’s study, can be found in porcelain. For a closely related bronze ‘arrow’ vase of similar archaistic design, recently excavated from a chamber beneath the Zhenhai Pagoda, built in 1321 at Haiyan in Zhejiang Province, see Rose Kerr, Rethinking some Later Chinese Bronzes, Arts of Asia Nov/Dec 2013, pp. 91-92, where she notes that the scholars who wrote up the excavation report considered the delicate bronze vessels of Song / Yuan date, such as the one mentioned above, to be amongst the most valuable relics of the 47 groups of objects.