AN ARCHAIC BRONZE RITUAL FOOD VESSEL AND COVER, DING Spring and Autumn Period (2)PROPERTY OF A GENTLEMAN 紳士藏品AN ARCHAIC BRONZE RITUAL FOOD VESSEL AND COVER, DINGSpring and Autumn PeriodThe deep rounded sides cast with a dragon band and a phoenix band divided by a raised fillet and set at the rim with a pair of large loop handles, all supported on three waisted legs, the low domed cover similarly decorated with two bands of dragon and phoenix centered by three evenly-spaced small loop handles, box. 42cm (16 1/2in) wide. (2).春秋 青銅蟠龍鳳紋圓鼎Provenance:Warren King, Hong KongMeiyintang Collection, SwitzerlandAn American private collectionPublished and illustrated:T.Wang, Chinese Bronzes from the Meiyintang Collection, London, 2009, p.176-177, no.81C.Deydier, Chinese Bronzes from the Meiyintang Collection, Hong Kong, 2013, vol.1, p.138, no.81來源:香港金才記瑞士玫茵堂舊藏美國私人收藏出版及著錄:汪濤，《玫茵堂藏中國銅器》，倫敦，2009年，頁176-177，編號81戴克成，《玫茵堂藏中國銅器》，香港，2013年，卷1，頁138，編號81The present ding vessel resembles designs on a set of 7 ritual bronzes which were excavated in a Spring and Autumn period tomb in Shanxi Province, supported on three bovine-headed waisted legs, illustrated in Zhongguo qingtongqi quanji, Beijing, 1998, vol.8, nos.19-20; see also a closely related late Spring and Autumn period ritual bronze ding vessel in the Shanghai Museum collection, illustrated in ibid., no.23. 圓鼎覆盆式蓋，上有三環鈕，可卻置，子母口，雙耳外撇，深鼓腹，素面三足，蓋頂至胸腹右上及下飾四圈紋帶，上下為一組，上為一圈交龍紋，下為一圈交鳳紋。此鼎為一套升鼎之一，春秋時期《公羊傳》裏記載：「天子九鼎，諸侯七。卿大夫五，元士三也。」然而東周禮崩樂壞，諸侯常有僭越，如山西金勝村春秋時期趙卿墓便出土了三組七鼎、六鼎、五鼎，其中一組七鼎形制與裝飾與本鼎頗似，足部裝飾牛頭，見《中國青銅器全集》，北京，1998年，卷8，編號19及20。上海博物館藏一件春秋晚期青銅蟠龍紋鼎與本件則更似，三足亦是光素，見前書，編號23。