A RARE BRONZE WINE JAR, HU, EASTERN HAN DYNASTYPublished: Rose Kerr et al., Chinese Antiquities from the Wou Kiuan Collection, page 67, no. 39.China, 25-220 AD. The globular body supported on a short foot and rising to a stout cylindrical neck with galleried rim, finely cast with a broad leiwen band encircling the waist, applied with two taotie masks in high relief, each with a loop handle suspending a loose ring. The bronze with a superb, naturally grown, rich patina with malachite and cuprite encrustations.Provenance: Sotheby’s London, 24 June 1958, lot 91 (dated to the Six Dynasties period). Dr. Wou Kiuan, acquired from the above. Wou Lien-Pai Museum, coll. no. H.4.2. A copy of the catalog entry for the present lot from Sotheby’s London, 24 June 1958, lot 91, noting the buyer “Wou” and a purchase price of forty-six British pounds, approximately two months’ salary at the time, apanies this lot. Dr. Wou Kiuan (1910-1997) was a Chinese diplomat and noted scholar of Chinese art. His father, Wou Lien-Pai (1873-1944), was one the leading political figures of early 20th century China, remembered for his role as speaker and leader of parliament during the turbulent years of the Republican era. Dr. Wou himself embarked on an illustrious career in diplomacy until his retirement in 1952, when he settled in London and devoted the rest of his life to the study of Chinese art. It was no doubt fortuitous that Dr. Wou’s years of collecting coincided with an abundant availability of exceptional Chinese art on the London market. From the mid-1950s to the late 1960s he was able to form a collection of well over 1,000 works that together represented virtually every category of Chinese art. At the heart of Dr. Wou’s drive to collect was a burning desire to preserve the relics of China’s rich historical past scattered across Europe, and to promote Chinese art and culture. It is unclear when Dr. Wou conceived of the idea to create a place to house his collection, but in 1968 he opened the doors to the Wou Lien-Pai Museum, named in honor of his father. Over the years the Museum became a ‘must see’ destination for collectors, academics, and visiting dignitaries, and Dr. Wou would delight in leading his visitors through the galleries, recounting stories of China’s glorious history.Condition: Excellent condition,mensurate with age. Expected old wear, minor dents and losses, casting flaws, encrustations, signs of weathering and erosion, one loop handle with a small crack, all exactly as expected from a bronze that is 2,000 years old.Weight: 5,664 gDimensions: Height 34.3 cm東漢罕見雙耳青銅壺中國，公元前25至公元220年。壺口外撇，頸微束，溜肩，肩部兩側分鑄一對獸面紋銜環舖首，腹部下收，肩腹飾雷紋帶，圈足高，嵌紅銅，皮色暗沉古穆。出版：Rose Kerr et al.，《Chinese Antiquities from the Wou Kiuan Collection》，頁67，編號39。