Beschreibung:

Lot details China, 13th century BC. The vessel is raised on tall, graceful, blade-shaped legs with sharp edges and cast with a band of taotie masks with raised bosses and indented flanges, one mask centered by a flange, the other by the handle and a two-character clan mark, cast on the body beneath. Above is a band of neatly incised short blades and two longer blades, one on the underside of the spout and one on the flared collar. A pair of capped posts with engraved scroll rises from the rim. Inscriptions: Two-character clan mark Provenance: Bluett & Sons, London, circa 1960 or earlier. A private collector in London, acquired from the above and thence by descent. The present lot is listed in an inventory dated March 1977 which was compiled for insurance purposes. Copies of two pages from this inventory, each listing the jue vessel as a “Chueh”, one showing a value of GBP 2,500 (approx. GBP 40,000-60,000 today after inflation), the highest price for any item on either page, accompany this lot. A copy of a signed letter from Brian Morgan of Bluett & Sons, dated 22nd March 1977, accompanies this lot. Morgan replies to the owner of the Jue who requests “an up-to-date valuation for insurance purposes” from Bluett, stating that he “cannot remember [the present lot] well enough after the lapse of years” and asks for it to be brought in again. This indicates that the purchase must have taken place at least 10-15 years before 1977, pointing to an acquisition date of c. 1960. Bluett & Sons was an important dealer of Chinese works of art, founded by brothers Leonard and Edgar Bluett and later continued by Leonard’s son Roger Bluett, who was president of the British Antique Dealers’ Association, of which his father and uncle were founding members in 1919. Brian Morgan joined Bluett & Sons in 1954, where he became a director of the company. Condition: Excellent condition, commensurate with age. Minuscule nicks to edges and small dents. Few minor signs of erosion. Soil encrustations. Superb, naturally grown patina with various tones of malachite and cuprite. The crisply cast decorations are extremely well-preserved, which makes this one of the most attractive examples of its kind. In such pristine condition, it must be considered exceedingly rare. Weight: 722.3 g Dimensions: Height 19.2 cm The present jue’s shape is particularly elegant. The tall, slightly curved, blade-shaped legs are longer in proportion to the body than usual, thereby creating a sense of lightness. The vessel itself is also rather unusual, with a shallow, rounded lower body below the taotie band with pronounced upper and lower edges, which combined with the flanges create a distinct, slightly angular profile. Jue appear to have been essential to Shang dynasty rituals, as they are one of the most numerous vessels found in Shang tombs. Their shape implies that they were used for the heating and pouring of ritual wines, and possibly for drinking the wine. Expert’s note: The present lot belongs to a distinct group of jue which is one of the earliest and largest types. It differs from later groups in that there is a clan mark, the decorations are particularly crisp, the undersides of the spout and collar are decorated with palm blades, the capped posts are incised, and the blade-shaped legs are taller and sharper. In general, later types are usually smaller and significantly less elaborate than the present lot. The discovery of comparable vessels in Fu Hao’s tomb argues for a date at the end of the first century of the Anyang period (1300-1050 BC). See Robert W. Bagley, Shang Ritual Bronzes in the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, vol. 1, The Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, Washington, D.C., 1987, page 182, figure 12.1, and pager 185, number 13. This type of jue appears to be extremely rare compared to later types, with not a single example as well-preserved sold at auction by Christie’s or Sotheby’s after 2000. Literature comparison: A near-identical jue is illustrated by Robert