A BRONZE RITUAL WINE VESSEL AND COVER, YOU LATE SHANG DYNASTY, ANYANG, 11TH CENTURY BC

A BRONZE RITUAL WINE VESSEL AND COVER, YOU
LATE SHANG DYNASTY, ANYANG, 11TH CENTURY BC
The pear-shaped body is cast on the shoulder with a band of diamond-shaped leiwen centered on an animal mask in relief between borders of circles, and the rope-twist handle is attached to the narrow sides by loops. The domed cover is similarly decorated beneath a segmented finial cast with cicadas. The interior of the cover and the vessel is cast with an inscription probably reading wen fu mu and wen fu mu fu yi, respectively, and the base of the vessel is cast with a turtle design.
9 in. (23 cm.) high

Provenance
J. J. Lally & Co., New York, 1993.
Dr. John T. Biggs (1942-1998) Collection, St. Louis.
J. J. Lally & Co., New York, no. 4641.