Spring and Autumn Period The lower body divided into four bulbous lobes tapering to four columnar feet, and set with two handles on the sides, below a cuboid upper body flaring to a straight mouth rim, the exterior cast with two bands of stylised kui dragons and set with two long upturned handles, patinated with bluish encrustations, box. 40.1cm (15 3/4in) high (2).Footnotes春秋 青銅夔龍紋四足方甗 Provenance: A Japanese private collection Acquired in Osaka, Japan, 7 December 2011 來源: 日本私人舊藏 2011年12月7日購於日本大阪 Square yan with four feet was evolved from the tripod yan, which was popular in the Spring and Autumn Period, but few examples survive today. Compare with a closely related square yan, early Spring and Autumn Period, in the Agriculture Museum, Beijing, which is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Bronzes Unearthed in China, Beijing, 2019, vol.12, pl.203. Compare with another related square yan, same period, in the Archaeology Academy of Shannxi, see ibid, vol.17, pl.594. 甑鬲分體，甑長方體，直口，身束收直壁，左右方立耳，腹部飾兩圈寬帶變體夔龍紋及竊曲紋，鬲折沿，短直頸，四袋足下接馬蹄足，器身漫發藍鏽。 四足方甗主要流行於兩周之間，時間短暫，存世稀少。可參見兩件春秋早期方甗，一件藏於中國農業博物館，見《中國出土青銅器全集》，北京，2019年，卷12，編號203；一件藏於陝西考古研究所，見前書，卷17，編號594。