An unusual parcel-gilt bronze beaker vase, gu


17th centuryOf archaistic gu form, the bulbous mid-section decorated with magpies perching on prunus branches on a chiselled gilt ground, supported on a spreading foot and flaring at the neck to a trumpet mouth, delicately adorned with three gilt cartouches at the neck and two at the foot, similarly decorated with floral motifs. 15.6cm (6in) high.
|十七世紀 銅局部鎏金花觚Modelled after the archaic ritual wine vessels known as gu, the present vase was created for the scholar's studio. For a related example of an archaistic parcel-gilt gu vase, signed Hu Wenming, see G.Tsang and H.Moss, Arts from the Scholar's Studio, Hong Kong, 2011, p.246, pl.237, where the authors note that vessels of this type were made primarily as works of art used for holding flowers, a branch of coral, or other decorative scholarly items.此器仿上古青銅觚造型，應為文房用品。相關例子可參考一件明代胡文明製鎏金饕餮紋觚，錄於曾柱昭及莫士撝，《文玩萃珍》，香港，2011年，頁246，編號237，作者曾指出此類器物為文房用品用以插花、珊瑚等。