口徑：9.3厘米 （3 3⁄4 吋） 通高：24厘米 （9 1⁄2 吋）Diam. at mouth： 9.3 cm （3 3⁄4 in.） Overall height： 24 cm （9 1⁄2 in.）

Literature：
China Guardian， Chinese Bronzes in the Collection of Zhu’s Jiu Ru Yuan， 2016， p.76
Shanghai Museum， The Legacy of Chu Chong-yee： Ancient Chinese Bronzes in the Jiu Ru Yuan Collection， Shanghai， Shanghai Cishu Press， 2017 ， no. 51
Provenance：
Collection of Chu’s Jiu Ru Yuan， acquired in the 1980s， Hong Kong

Exhibited：
Chinese Bronzes in the Collection
of Zhu’s Jiu Ru Yuan， 28th-31st May 2016， Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre

Although he-vessels were used as water containers in Western Zhou， they served as wine warmers in Eastern Zhou and after. This wine warmer with a small mouth and short neck has a flat cover surmounted by a monkey which holds a baby monkey in its left arm and holds on to a big ring with its right hand. The big ring is connected with another on the animal-shaped loop handle through a two-ring link to form a loose chain. With openwork interlaced dragons forming its body， the animal which is the handle rests its front paws on the shoulder of the vessel and clenches between its teeth the crest of the bird that forms the spout. The cover is decorated with animal masks while its rim with S-shaped interlaced dragons.

Between the broad shoulders and the compressed belly is a short crooked spout in the form of a phoenix’s head with a movable upper bill. Horizontally segmented into three by two recessed bow strings， the belly is decorated with mirror images of stylized deer on a ground of stylized animal patterns in the top tier， and with mirror images of animals entwined by snakes on a granulated ground in the middle tier. The bottom tier is cast with three equidistant legs that are in the form of a stooping man mounted by a bird in relief， which is described by some scholars as “bird-upon-man”. Bird patterns are found on either side of the legs.

The elaborate design and decoration of the present lot is rare of its kind. It is the only known example other than the jiao-vessel with interlaced serpents illustrated at Shang Zhou Yiqi Tongkao， Figure 492.

Vessels similar in shape to the present lot used to be called he by scholars since the Song down to the Qing dynasty. Although most modern scholars have preferred to follow suit， Rong Geng believed that they were actually wine warmers and suggested renaming them as jiao so as to distinguish them from he-vessels with inscription （Shang Zhou Yiqi Tongkao）. The renaming was supported by Zhu Fenghan （See Zhongguo Qingtongqi Zonglun Shanghai， 2009， vol. 1， pp. 174-176）. Rong did have a point since he-vessels from the mid and late Spring and Autumn periods as well as the Warring States period distinguish themselves in shape from those from the Shang and Western Zhou periods. Considering the fact that a similar specimen is inscribed as “he” ， which corroborates with references to its type since the Song dynasty， it is perhaps preferable after all to adopt the established name.

Price estimate:
HKD: 3,000,000 - 5,000,000
USD: 387,600 - 646,000

Auction Result:
HKD: 6,130,000