A very rare archaic bronze ritual wine vessel (Zun)Early Western Zhou dynasty西周初 青銅素帶尊inscribed to the interior with an eight-character inscription reading X Zhong zuo fu yi bao zun yi, Japanese wood boxes (5) 銘文：□仲作父乙寶尊彝Height 8 in., 20.2 cmThere is an approx. 2.5-cm oval patch to the foot and a short break to the foot ring. The upper neck has a network of very fine cracks (detectable on the exterior around approx. 1/3 of the circumference). X-ray images are available upon request.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.Christie's Hong Kong, 1st December 2010, lot 3218. This lot is accompanied by a certification note written by Zoroku Hata III in 1936. The box is inscribed with a note by Uzan Nagao (1864-1942) written in the same year.香港佳士得2010年12月1日，編號3218 附三世藏六丙子年 (1936年) 鑑定書 日本盒蓋內長尾甲同年題識The inscription on the present vessel translates to 'X Zhong made this precious ritual bronze for Father Yi'. The first character of the owner's name, which has been largely obscured by encrustation, does not seem to be recorded from other ancient bronzes. This character indicates the clan where the owner of this bronze came from. The second character zhong 仲 suggests that the owner was the second oldest son within his family.This vessel is particularly unusual for its minimalist design, lacking surface decoration except for three raised ribs. Zun of this type are discussed by Jessica Rawson in Western Zhou Ritual Bronzes from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, Washington D.C., 1990, p. 67, where she notes that plain vessels were recovered in the area of the Xing fief in Yuanshi county, Hebei province, and are datable to the latter part of the early Western Zhou period. Richly decorated vessels were also excavated at this site, suggesting that the two styles coexisted.Two zun of this type in the National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C., are illustrated in ibid., vol. IIB, pls 85 and 86, the first decorated with two rams' heads and illustrated with two further examples, figs 85.1 and 85.2, the second with a plain surface; and two undecorated zun are illustrated in Jung Keng, 'The Bronzes of Shang and Zhou', Yenching Journal of Chinese Studies, Monograph Series no. 17, 1941, pls 523 and 543, together with one with a handle, pl. 532.