The Zuo Ce Shi GuLate Shang dynasty商末 作冊尸觚cast to the interior of the base with a three-character inscription reading Zuo Ce Shi, followed by a clan pictogram Niao銘文：作冊尸鳥Height 9⅞ in., 25.2 cmThe trumpet neck has multiple restored breaks, and the foot rim has a few restored sections. X-ray images available upon request. 口、頸部見數處破損經修。足沿幾處見損經修。X光片可供索取。For more information on and additional videos for this lot, please contact serina.wei@sothebys.comIn 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.NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.Collection of Tadao Kobayashi (1922-2008), acquired in Asia between the 1950s and 1960s.Sotheby's New York, 13th September 2017, lot 70.Tadao Kobayashi (1922-2008) 收藏，1950至60年代得於亞洲 紐約蘇富比2017年9月13日，編號70The owner of this ritual bronze, as indicated by the inscription, was Zuo Ce Shi. The two characters, Zuo Ce refer to a high rank official position during the Shang and Zhou dynasties. The officials under this title were responsible for drafting and decreeing royal orders on behalf of the king. They belonged to one of the highest elite classes of the empire and enjoyed a prestigious social status at the time. According to surviving bronze inscriptions, Zuo Ce were recorded to be appointed at important positions during political events and ritual ceremonies and often generously rewarded by the rulers for their contributions.The single pictogram from the inscription, niao (bird), indicates the clan, to which Zuo Ce Shi belonged. Several other late Shang dynasty gu from the same clan have been recorded, including one from the City Art Museum of St. Louis (today's Saint Louis Art Museum), illustrated in J. Edward Kidder, Jr., Early Chinese Bronzes in the City Art Museum of St. Louis, St. Louis, 1956, pl. I; and another, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, published in The Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, ed., Yinzhou jinwen jicheng [Compendium of Bronze Inscriptions from Yin and Zhou Dynasties], Beijing, 2007, no. 06675.