AN ARCHAIC RITUAL BRONZE WINE VESSEL AND COVER,YOUEarly Western Zhou DynastyThe rounded elliptical body rising from a broad slightly spreading foot, the shoulder decorated with a frieze of two paired birds with long hooked tails in low relief on aleiwen ground divided in the middle by a high relief bovine mask on the front and back, set with two loops on the bail handles concealed by two beast-heads, the domed cover with a similar frieze near the edge above the slightly concave sides, all surmounted by a finial, the interior with archaic inscription, box.29cm (11 3/8in) high，3.5kg (2).For further information on this lot please visit theProvenance: 西周早期 青銅虎首提樑卣Provenance: Ngai Tile Wave, Hong KongAn Asian private collection, acquired from the above on 30 May 2015Published and Illustrated: , Shang Zhou qingtong qi mingwen ji tuxiang jicheng sanpian pendium of important inscriptions and images of bronzes from the Shang and Zhou dynasties III), Shanghai, 2017, vol.3, p.228, no.1134.來源：香港藝雅廊亞洲私人收藏，2015年5月30日購於上者出版及著錄：吳鎮烽，《商周青銅器銘文暨圖像集成三編》，上海，2017年，卷3，頁228，編號1134。銘文：（蓋內及腹內）丁卯，厂貝（一字）易（賜）馬于氒（厥）考，用乍季娗日癸尊彝。戈。Inscription: Dingmao, Yuancima yu juekao, yongzuo Jitingrigui (ritual name) zunyi. Ge (On the date of Dingmao, Yuan of the Ge family was awarded with horses from his father, he made this precious vessel for Jiting Rigui.)According to the inscription, Yuan was the owner of the vessel, and received horses from his father. Rigui (日癸) refers to the ritual date and Ge (戈) the name/emblem of a major family of the Shang dynasty. Thebination of ritual date and family emblem/name is a Shang tradition, so it can be seen that this vessel probably belonged to the descendants of an important family from the Shang dynasty. Jiting (季娗) is a female name. Shang and Zhou bronzes were made for women; either mothers such as those used in funerals; or for those apanying new brides. The inscription earlier mentioned that he received horses from his father, so it would be unreasonable for this to be used for a wedding ceremony. It seems more reasonable that this was cast for Yuan's mother, Jiting.Compare with a a related you with loop handle, Western Zhou dynasty, excavated from Henan Province, illustrated in Zhongguo chutu qingtong qi quanji, Beijing, 2018, fig.294. It is quite rare to have tiger heads at both ends of the handle, and in the Western Zhou period it was moremon to see the heads of tapirs, dragons, deer and rabbits.pare with a related you with loop handle, Western Zhou dynasty, excavated from Shanxi, with similar tiger heads on the handles and phoenix pattern band, illustrated in ibid., fig.224.pare the shape of the present lot also with another you, Western Zhou dynasty, illustrated in ibid., fig.6363.See also a related archaic bronze vessel, you, late Shang dynasty, which was sold at Sotheby's New York, 18 March 2014, lot 9.卣蓋穹頂，上鑄菌狀鈕捉手，近蓋緣鑄鳳鳥紋一周，前後正中起短扉棱，扉棱兩側各鑄鳳鳥兩隻，雷紋填地，蓋緣內收，卣溜肩，肩部正中鑄獸首，兩側對稱飾鳳鳥紋