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Antique Buddha Museum Statues
Archaic Bronze Bird Water Vessel Antique Chinese Bronze Vessel

Ritual Zun 尊

Ceremonial Zoomorphic Beast 儀式獸形

Origin: China, Circa: 19th century and earlier
HH 9 in. (23cm), W 11.5 in. (29cm), D 6 in. (15cm)
Cuprite and malachite patina; Excellent condition


Estimated Value $900
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This heavy cast archaic bronze ritual wine vessel (Guang), stylistically dating from the Western Zhou Dynasty (c. 12th–10th Century BCE) to the Warring States period ( c. 475 – 221 BCE). It stands as a masterwork of ancient Chinese zoomorphic sculpture. Cast with remarkable complexity, the vessel features a powerful bird-form spout, with a prominent hooked beak and circular eyes. The dinosaur-like vessel stands on four legs, with scrolling feathered wings on two sides. The design is a "composite beast" typical of the period, transitioning seamlessly into a magnificent loop handle capped by a clambering feline figure that arches with predatory grace. Based on the rim, this vessel originally would have had a chain-linked removable lid. The entire exterior is enhanced by a vibrant, multitone malachite patina that attests to its millennia of interment. This Zun served as a spiritual conduit in ancestral rituals, its intricate scrolling reliefs and powerful silhouette embodying the prestige and religious authority of the early Chinese aristocracy. Close observation reveals that the vessel was cast using the lost-wax method, evidently attributed to the 19th-century Qing era.

Archaic Bronze Bird Water Kettle
Archaic Bronze Bird Water Kettle
Archaic Bronze Vessel
Archaic Bronze Bird Vessel

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