A BRONZE 'MYTHICAL BEAST' LOZENGE-SHAPED VASE, HU Late Ming/early Qing Dynasty (2)A BRONZE 'MYTHICAL BEAST' LOZENGE-SHAPED VASE, HULate Ming/early Qing DynastyFinely cast of archaistic hu form and lozenge section, rising from a stepped foot to a flaring neck with two raised ribs, applied with a pair of mythical beasts, each side of the body with a further mythical beast in relief, wood stand. 36.8cm (14 1/2in) high. (2).明晚期/清早期 神獸紋獸耳菱形壺Provenance: Ulrich Hausmann CollectionPublished, Illustrated and Exhibited: Michael Goedhuis in association with Shimizu Oriental Art Ltd., The Gilding of the Lily: An Exhibition of the Divine Vessels of Japanese Flower Arrangement, London, 1986, no.34Michael Goedhuis, Chinese and Japanese Bronzes A.D.1100-1900, London, 1989, no.48來源：Ulrich Hausmann 舊藏展覽著錄：Michael Goedhuis 与 Shimizu Oriental Art Ltd 合作展，《The Gilding of the Lily: An Exhibition of the Divine Vessels of Japanese Flower Arrangement》，倫敦，1986年，編號34Michael Goedhuis著, 《Chinese and Japanese Bronzes A.D.1100-1900》，倫敦，1989年，編號48The present lot exhibits the 17th century fascination with mythical beasts. There was a revival of interest in ancient texts, notably the Shanhai jing (Classic of Mountains and Seas), a compendium replete with descriptions of geography, natural history, and mythology. The availability of various illustrated editions of the Shanhai jing from the late sixteenth century onward quickly led to the appearance of new motifs in the decorative arts. See two similarly shaped vases but in cloisonné enamel, early Qing dynasty, in the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in the Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum, vol.2, Beijing, 2011, nos.18 and 20.