An unusual Chinese archaic bronze arrow vase, 'touhu 投壺', Han
H.: 29,5 cm

Weig…

Description

An unusual Chinese archaic bronze arrow vase, 'touhu 投壺', Han H.: 29,5 cm Weight: 1705 grams Provenance: An important Belgian private collection. Ref.: Christie's, New York, September 25, 2020, lot 1516, for an identical example. (sold $ 35.000) (link)

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An unusual Chinese archaic bronze arrow vase, 'touhu 投壺', Ha

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Estim. 30 - 50 EUR

CHINA Small bronze vase with mobile handles, decorated with geometric motifs in the archaic style H. 22 cm

Estim. 12 000 - 15 000 EUR

= CHINA POSSIBLY ZHOU DYNASTY (1046-246 B.C.) Bronze Pu archaic ritual vessel Circular in shape, the shallow body rests on a flared foot with incisions, the lip decorated with a geometric frieze. With a later inscription in pseudo-archaic style on the inside. H. 12.4 cm; D. 19 cm PROVENANCE: Belgian private collection NOTE This form of archaic tableware derives from the Dou vase, used to present cooked cereals during ritual ceremonies.

Estim. 500 - 1 000 EUR

A LONGQUAN STYLE CELADON ‘TOBI SEIJI’ ARROW VASE, TOUHU, REPUBLIC PERIOD A LONGQUAN STYLE CELADON ‘TOBI SEIJI’ ARROW VASE, TOUHU, REPUBLIC PERIOD China, c. 1912-1949. Heavily potted, the pear-shaped body supported on a straight foot and rising to a slightly waisted neck with straight rim, the neck flanked by two tubular protrusions. The body covered overall in a lustrous celadon glazed with russet-gray splashes, the foot ring left unglazed revealing the buff ware burnt orange in the firing. Provenance: British trade. Condition: Good condition with expected old wear, the mouth slightly smoothened, light surface scratches, and firing flaws including uneven glazing and pooling. The inside of the foot ring with small old fills. Weight: 1.3 kg Dimensions: Height 24.9 cm Although the use of iron spots on celadon wares was observed on Yue wares from the late Western Jin dynasty (256-316), it was discontinued and only revived by the Longquan kilns in the Yuan dynasty. The russet spots effect is achieved by applying iron-rich pigment to the thick layer of celadon glaze before firing. The tea-brown patches, scattered like a shower of petals, are praised by the Japanese tea masters as tobi seiji – a term probably referring to the random distribution of the brown spots (see Kobayashi Hitoshi, ‘Guobao feiqingci huasheng kao (On the National Treasure tobi seiji hanaike)’, Chen Xin, trans., Zhongguo gu taoci yanjiu. Longquan yao yanjiu/The Research of Longquan Kiln, Beijing, 2011, p. 403). Despite its simplicity and beauty, the production of this type of wares lasted only for a short period of time, and the iron spots soon became much smaller and their distribution more restrained and regular. The form of this vase is inspired by archaic bronze vessels used for touhu (lit. ‘pitch-pot’), a traditional East Asian game that requires players to throw arrows or sticks from a set distance into a large, sometimes ornate, vessel. The game had originated by the Warring States period, probably invented by archers or soldiers as a pastime during idle periods. It began as a game of skill or a drinking game at parties, but by the time it was described in a chapter of the Chinese Classic Book of Rites, it had acquired Confucian moral overtones. Initially popular among elites, it spread to other classes and remained popular in China until the end of the Qing Dynasty. Touhu was usually a contest between players, who had to throw arrows into the mouth or tubular handles of the vase, which was placed at an equal distance between two mats on which the players knelt. Touhu vases continued to be produced in the Song dynasty and later, made in various materials including bronze, cloisonné, and ceramic. Expert’s note: the heaviness of the vase and the large size of the arrow holes indicate that the present vase was designed to be used to actually play touhu, which remained a popular game in China until the late Qing dynasty and even beyond. Longquan touhu vases are more commonly known without the iron-oxide spots, such as an example dated Southern Song to Yuan dynasty at Christie’s New York, 23 September 2022, lot 962.

Estim. 150 - 200 EUR

Archaic-style tripod perfume burner (height: 37cm) and vase (height: 30cm.). Bronze patina with champlevé enamels. Chinese work from the 19th/XXth century. Marks.

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