A BRONZE SHALLOW TRIPOD VESSEL, DING, EARLY SPRING AND AUTUMN PERIOD China, late 8th to early 7th century BC. The rounded bowl supported on three cabriole legs, two upright loop handles rising from the everted rim above. The exterior of the body cast with two bands of dense and sharp archaic scroll.

Provenance: From a noted private collection in New York City, USA, and thence by descent within the same family.
Condition: Excellent condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, casting flaws, visible parting lines, few minuscule nicks and dents, minor losses. With a fine, naturally grown patina and extensive malachite encrustation.

Weight: 1,465 g
Dimensions: Width 19.3 cm (at the widest points)

Literature comparison: A closely related ding is illustrated by Jenny So in Eastern Zhou Ritual Bronzes from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, 1995, pp. 102-3, no. 6, where it is dated Eastern Zhou, early Spring and Autumn period, late 8th-early 7th century BC. Compare a ding, of closely related shallow form and with similar tight interlace, also dated 8th-7th century BC, in the collection of the British Museum, museum number 1982,0621.1.

Auction result comparison: Compare a related ding, also dated early Spring and Autumn period, at Christie’s New York in Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art on 23 March 2012, lot 1531, sold for USD 30,000, and another at Sotheby’s New York in Important Chinese Art on 12 September 2018, lot 190, sold for USD 20,000. A near-identical bronze ding, from the same provenance as the present lot, was sold in these rooms in Fine Chinese Art, Buddhism and Hinduism on 16 October 2021, lot 329, for EUR 8,848.

春秋初年青銅三足鼎
中國，公元前八至七世紀。此鼎球形深腹，雙立耳，下承三蹄足，穩重有力，造型渾厚；其整體紋飾粗獷，腹部飾竊曲紋。

來源：美國紐約知名私人收藏，一直保存在同一家族。
品相：狀況極佳，與年齡相符。 廣泛磨損、鑄造瑕疵、可見的分型線，有微小的刻痕和凹痕，輕微的缺損。細膩的自然生長的包漿和孔雀石綠結殼。

重量：1,465 克
尺寸：寬19.3 厘米 (最寬處)

拍賣結果：比較一件相近的同樣為春秋初期的鼎，見紐約佳士得 Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art 2012年3月23日 lot 1531, 售價USD 30,000；另一件見紐約蘇富比 Important Chinese Art 2018年9月12日lot 190, 售價USD 20,000。一件幾乎一模一樣的青銅鼎，來自同一收藏，2021年10月16日在本藝廊 Fine Chinese Art, Buddhism and Hinduism 拍賣，lot 329, 售價 EUR 8,848。