A ‘FIRE AND FOUR-PETAL LEAVES’ BRONZE RITUAL FOOD VESSEL, GUI, EARLY WESTERN ZHOU DYNASTYChina, 11th century BC. The deep body of slight S-profile raised on a spreading foot with a tall straight foot rim below a band of leiwen divided by four flanges, cast below the everted rim with a band of alternating fire and four-petal leaves centered on two sides with a small animal mask, flanked by a pair of loop handles with an animal mask at the top and a hooked tab projecting from the bottom. The bronze with a superb, naturally grown, rich, brown patina with distinct malachite and cuprite encrustations.Provenance: Gottfried and Helga Hertel, Cologne, Germany. The property of a gentleman in the United States, acquired from the above. Gottfried Hertel (1925-2019) was the Executive Director of the German Nuclear Reactor Insurance Association in Cologne. Together with his wife, Helga (1928-2013), he formed a substantial collection of Asian art, antiquities, and Old Master paintings, over many decades, beginning in 1970. Parts of the Egyptian art and classical antiquities collection were sold at Bonhams in London, 3 July 2019. Condition: Excellent condition, commensurate with age. Old wear and shallow surface scratches, losses, small nicks and dents. One side of the wall and an area of the foot rim sympathetically restored. The interior of the foot rim with minor flaking. Superb, naturally grown patina overall and thus displaying exceptionally well.X-Ray imagery: X-Ray images of the present lot are available on request.Weight: 1,447 g Dimensions: Width 25.5 cm (across)Literature comparison: Compare a related early Western Zhou dynasty gui, illustrated by Wu Zhenfeng, Shangzhou qingtongqi mingwen ji tuxiang jicheng (Compendium of Inscriptions and Images of Bronzes from the Shang and Zhou Dynasties), Shanghai, 2012, pl. 3862. The decoration on the present gui, resembling fire and four-petal leaves, belongs to a distinct type which first appeared in the Western Zhou dynasty, see Shang Zhou qingtongqi wenshi (Decorative Patterns on Shang and Zhou dynasties Bronzes), Beijing, 1984, p. 248, pl. 703-708 for a related discussion and study carried out by the Shanghai Museum Bronze Research Group on this design. Compare the similar gui, also dated early Western Zhou, illustrated by J. Rawson in Western Zhou Ritual Bronzes from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, vol. IIB, Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, 1990, p. 385, fig. 43.1. See, also, the similar gui in the collection of the Danish National Museum, illustrated by M. Boyer, Some Chinese Archaic Bronzes in the Danish National Museum, BMFEA, No. 27, Stockholm, 1955, pp. 1-10, pl. 5 (b).Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie’s New York, 24 March 2011, lot 1247 Price: USD 194,500 or approx. EUR 233,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A bronze ritual food vessel, gui, early Western Zhou dynasty, 11th century BCExpert remark: Compare the closely related form, handles, and decoration with similar animal masks and alternating fire and four-petal leaves (described here as “stars and whorls”), as well as the related size (26.7 cm). Note the five-character inscription.西周初期青銅簋中國，公元前十一世紀。侈口，垂腹，半環耳，圈足外撇，近底處起淺臺。腹兩側為獸首半環耳，下皆垂珥，口沿下飾一紋飾帶，以浮雕小獸面為中心，兩側為交替的火焰紋和四葉草紋。圈足飾一周雲雷紋襯地。青銅器具有極好的、自然生長的、豐富的棕色銅綉，帶有明顯的孔雀石色和赤色結殼。 來源：德國科隆Gottfried 與Helga Hertel收藏；美國紳士收藏，購於上述收藏。Gottfried Hertel (1925-2019年) 曾是德國科隆核反應堆保險協會的執行董事。自1970 年起，他與妻子 Helga（1928-2013年）建立了亞洲藝術、古物和古典大師繪畫收藏。部分埃及藝術和古典古物收藏於2019年7 月3日在倫敦邦瀚斯拍賣行出售。 品相：狀況極佳，有磨損和表面淺劃痕、缺損、小刻痕和凹痕。一側和腳緣的區域得到了修復。足緣內部有輕微剝落。自然生長的整體包漿。 X光射線檢測: 可詢問獲取X射線檢測圖。 重量：1,447克 尺寸：寬 25.5 厘米 (雙耳之間) 文獻比較： 比較一件相近的西周初期青銅簋，見吳鎮烽，《商周青銅器銘文暨圖像集成》，上海，2012年，頁3862。本器紋飾為火焰紋和四葉草紋，屬西周時期最早出現的一種獨特類型，見《商周青銅器紋飾》，北京，1984，頁248，圖703-708；上海博物館青銅器研究組對此相近設計的討論研究。比較相似的西周早期青銅簋，見J. Rawson，《Western Zhou Ritual Bronzes from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections》，卷IIB，Arthur M. Sackler基金會，1990年，頁385，圖43.1。一件相似的西周早期青銅簋，收藏於Danish National Museum，見M. Boyer，《Some Chinese Archaic Bronzes in the Danish National Museum》，BMFEA，編號27，斯德哥爾摩，1955年，頁1-10，圖5 (b)。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：紐約佳士得，2011年3月24日，lot 1247 價格：USD 194,500（相當於今日EUR 233,000） 描述：公元前十一世紀西周初期青銅簋 專家評論：比較非常相近的外形、雙耳，以及相似的輔首、火焰紋和四葉草紋，以及相近尺寸 (26.7 厘米)。請注意此簋有五字款識。