A YELLOW-GLAZED ARCHAISTIC ALTAR VESSEL, XING, GUANGXU MARK AND PERIOD China, 1875-1908. The barrel-shaped body molded and carved with a wide band of cell-pattern diaper below key-fret and a foliate scroll below the mouth rim, flanked by a pair of dragon-head loop handles and raised on four leaf-form supports. Covered inside and out with a finely crackled, deep egg-yolk glaze with distinct pooling. The countersunk base with a six-character mark da Qing Guangxu nianzhi and of the period. Provenance: From a private collection in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, acquired by the present owner's grandparents in China during the 1950s. Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and firing flaws. One handle with a small glaze loss, probably from firing. Surface scratches, particularly to the interior. Weight: 3,911 g Dimensions: Diameter 24.2 cm, Height 24.3 cm, Width 33 cm (across handles) The form of the present lot is based on an archaic vessel originating from the Zhou dynasty. In the Zhouli (the Rights of Zhou) it is recorded that this vessel was called Xing and used for serving geng (thick broth). When the Manchus established the Qing dynasty and took control of China, they also adopted the Chinese practice of making offerings to their ancestors, a tradition that had been established during the Zhou dynasty. The Qing court therefore had ceremonial vessels made to resemble the Zhou prototypes in order to give the foreign Manchus a veneer of legitimacy and to create a sense of continuity. Expert's note: The present xing, with its distinct yellow glaze, would have been part of a ritual set made for the Altar of Earth and would have comprised also a pair of dou, fu, and gui-shaped vessels. Similarly composed sets with archaistic designs would have been made in claire de lune, blue, and red for ritual use in the Altars of the Moon, Heaven, and Sun, respectively. The archaistic shape of these sets was not designed until 1748, when the Qianlong emperor ordered the Grand Secretaries to consult classical texts when designing objects, and insisted that he approve their designs before manufacturing could begin. The objects were illustrated and described in The Illustrated Regulations for Ceremonial Paraphernalia of the Qing Dynasty (Huangchao liqi tushi). See E. S. Rawski and J. Rawson, eds., China: The Three Emperors 1662-1795, London, 2005, pp. 125 and 396-397, pls. 34-37. Literature comparison: Compare a closely related xing, with an incised six-character Guangxu mark and of the period, at Christie's Hong Kong, The Imperial Sale, 30 May 2006, lot 1309. See also a similar example with incised six-character Guangxu mark in Imperial Porcelain of Late Qing, Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1983, catalog no. 143. Auction result comparison: Compare a related molded and yellow-glazed gui vessel and cover, also dated to the Guangxu period but unmarked, at Christie's New York in Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art on 23 March 2012, lot 2109, sold for USD 18,750. Compare also a related molded and yellow-glazed dou vessel and cover, with an incised six-character Guangxu mark and of the period, at Sotheby's Hong Kong in Chinese Art on 28 November 2018, lot 741, sold for HKD 275,000. 光緒款與年代黃釉貝紋三足鉶，光緒款與年代 中國，1875-1908年。自上而下錐印卷草、回紋及六角形貝紋，足部作山形板棱，外飾雲紋，內飾蕉葉紋，器身口沿兩側貼飾雙犧形耳。通體施黃釉，釉面細微開片。底部見六字款“大清光緒年製”。 來源：美國賓夕法尼亞私人收藏，現任藏家的祖父於1950年代購於中國。 品相：品相極好，輕微磨損，燒製缺陷。一耳有一處釉面小缺失，可能是燒製時產生的。表面有劃痕，尤其是内壁。 重量：3,911 克 尺寸：直徑 24.2 厘米，高 24.3 厘米，寬33 厘米(雙耳朵之間) 專家注釋：鉶是清宮大典禮器，仿上古青銅器之形及紋樣。此器施鮮明的黃釉，應該是為地壇製作的祭祀禮器中的一件，包括一對豆、簠和簋形器。 類似的仿古禮器分別使用天青釉、藍色和紅色釉，分別用於月壇、天壇和日壇。此類仿古禮器造型直到 1748 年才被設計出來，當時乾隆皇帝命令匠人在設計物品時參考經典文本，並堅持在開始製造之前准他們的設計。 當時的《皇朝禮器圖式》記載了典章制度類器物。見E. S. Rawski and J. Rawson, eds., China: The Three Emperors 1662-1795, London, 2005, 第125頁與第396-397頁，圖 34-37。 拍賣結果比較：比較一件相近模印黃釉帶蓋簋形瓶，光緒年代，但沒有款，見紐約佳士得 Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art 2012年3月23日 lot 2109, 售價USD 18,750；一件同樣模印黃釉帶蓋豆，光緒六字款及年代，見香港蘇富比 Chinese Art 2018年11月 28日lot 741, 售價HKD 275,000。