AN ARCHAIC BRONZE RITUAL FOOD VESSEL, DING, EARLY WESTERN ZHOU DYNASTYChina, 11^th-10^th century BC. The deep, rounded body is massively cast and raised on three columnar supports, the exterior with a flat-cast band of three taotie masks in relief below the rim from which two sturdy U-shaped loop handles rise. The interior with a crisp two character pictogram in oracle bone script below the rim.

Inscriptions: To interior below the rim, 'hao' (good).

Provenance: Nellie Clay Foster, acquired in China during the 1930s, and thence by descent in the family. Nellie 'Nelchen' K. A. Foster (née Armstrong, d. 1950) was a socialite and amateur poet in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. She married the noted naturalist and yachtsman Henry Clay Foster (d. 1950). Nellie and Henry both traveled across Asia in the 1930s. According to information provided by the family, they got acquainted with a curator or consultant of the Metropolitan Museum in New York during one of their journeys through China. On one occasion this curator - possibly Gijs Bosch-Reitz (1860-1938) - had discovered five ancient bronzes for sale, of which he could only afford the purchase of three. As the story goes, the owner insisted on selling all five bronzes at once, and so Nellie was invited to pick two pieces. Her first choice was the present ding vessel, which she kept in her New Jersey home until her death.
Condition: Excellent condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, signs of weathering and erosion, minor losses, nicks and cracks, all pretty much as expected from ancient bronzes. Beautiful, naturally grown patina with extensive malachite encrustation.

Weight: 3,022 g
Dimensions: Diameter 20 cm, height 23.6 cm

Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related bronze ding decorated with a similar taotie band, dated to the Western Zhou dynasty, 11^th century BC, 23.1 cm wide, in the collection of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery in the National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, accession number S1987.328. Compare a closely related bronze ding decorated with a similar taotie band, dated to the Western Zhou dynasty, 11^th-10^th century BC, 17.5 cm wide, in the collection of the Freer Gallery of Art in the National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, accession number FSC-B-603.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie's, 15 December 2010, lot 273
Price: EUR 46,600 or approx. EUR 59,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A bronze tripod food vessel, ding, China, Western Zhou dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and taotie band. Note the smaller height (19.5 cm).

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie's, 19 September 2014, lot 986
Price: USD 87,500 or approx. EUR 106,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A large bronze ritual tripod food vessel, ding, late Shang-Western Zhou dynasty, 11^th century BC
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, taotie band, and inscription to interior below the rim. Note the larger height (30.2 cm).


西周初期饕餮紋青銅鼎
中國，公元前十一至十一世紀。鼎體渾圓且深，向上收口，兩側對稱設耳，鼎體上部有扁平浮雕饕餮紋。

款識：鼎内邊緣下可見“好”

來源：上世紀三十年代Nellie Clay Foster購於中國，保存在同一家族。Nellie 'Nelchen' K. A. Foster (née Armstrong， 1950年逝世) 是美國肯塔基州路易斯維爾的社交名流和詩人。她嫁給了著名的博物學家和帆船運動員Henry Clay Foster (1950 年逝世）。 Nellie 和 Henry 都在 1930 年代遊歷了亞洲。據家人提供的信息，他們在一次中國之旅中結識了紐約大都會博物館的一位策展人或顧問。有一次，這位策展人——可能是 Gijs Bosch-Reitz (1860-1938)——發現了五件待售的古代青銅器，他只能買得起三件。據說，主人堅持要一次性賣掉五件青銅器，於是請Nellie挑了兩件。她的第一選擇是現在的鼎，一直保存在新澤西州的家中，直到她去世。
品相：狀況極佳，大面積磨損、風化和侵蝕的跡象、輕微的缺損、刻痕和裂縫。美麗、自然生長的皮殼，帶有大量綠色鏽斑。清晰的浮雕保存得非常好，可在 X 射線圖像（可根據要求提供）上也見到，清楚地記錄了該拍品出色的整體狀況。

重量：3,022 克
尺寸：直徑 20厘米，高23.6 厘米

文獻比較：
比較一件非常相近的公元前十一世紀西周饕餮紋青銅鼎(寬23.1 厘米)，收藏於亞瑟·M·賽克勒美術館，史密森尼學會，編號S1987.328。比較一件非常相近的公元前十至十一世紀西周饕餮紋青銅鼎(17.5 厘米寬)，收藏於亞瑟·M·賽克勒美術館Freer Gallery of Art，史密森尼學會，編號FSC-B-603。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：佳士得，2010年12月15日，lot 273
價格：EUR 46,600（相當於今日EUR 59,000）
描述：西周三足青銅鼎
專家評論：比較非常相近的外型和饕餮紋。請注意高度較低 (19.5厘米)。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：佳士得，2014年9月19日，lot 986
價格：USD 87,500（相當於今日EUR 106,000）
描述：晚商-西周公元前十一世紀青銅饕餮紋鼎
專家評論：比較非常相近外型、饕餮紋和鼎內下緣的款識。請注意高度較高(30.2厘米)。