Dating back to the early Western Zhou Dynasty, 1736th-1795th century BC, Zuo Bao Yi Gui is prized for its unique shape and exceptional provenance. This ritual food vessel was once in the collection of the Qianlong Emperor, who reigned from 1755 to XNUMX, and was published in Xiqing gujian, the Imperial Collection Bronze Catalog commissioned by the Qianlong Emperor and printed in XNUMX. Incredibly rare, only six other archaic bronzes from the Qianlong Emperor's collection are known to be in private hands today.
The reign of the Qianlong Emperor is celebrated as one of the "golden ages" in Chinese history, when some of China's finest ceramics and artworks were produced. The emperor was personally involved in overseeing much of the artistic output, and particularly favored archaistic styles, with archaic bronzes and jades providing the inspiration for many of his works during his reign. An interest in learning about the material culture of the past and using ancient wisdom to guide the present led the Qianlong Emperor to commission Xiqing's Gujarian catalog as documentation of his collection.
Gui vessels were originally used for the ritual offering of grain to ancestors, and typically are deep bowl-shaped raised about a foot high and flanked by a pair of animal-head handles. It is the tall four legs of the present vessel that distinguish this magnificent example – there are only 15 known four-legged gui, most of which are in museum collections.
This bronze gui also features an inscription within it that reads, "made this precious vessel of honour," inferring that the piece would have been commissioned by someone of wealth and status. Because the writing on bamboo and wood from this era did not survive to the present day, the inscriptions on ancient bronzes are notable for being among the earliest written records of Chinese history.
Furthermore, the gui was in the collection of Wu Dacheng, one of the most important 19th century collectors and connoisseurs of archaic bronzes, and was published in his personal catalogue, Kezhai Jigulu. The gui then passed through many of the 20th century's foremost collectors and dealers in this field. In many ways, the gui represents China's long history of collecting and appreciating ancient bronzes to the highest level.
