Exuberantly cast under the rim with confronted birds, their long curly tails raised against a ground of tight spirals (leiwen), this gui is representative of bronze casting in the middle Western Zhou period. A transitional phase that saw the establishment of a more distinct Zhou bronze style, vessels from this period often feature extravagant and elaborate designs of birds, whose prominence indicates their increasing popularity. While birds first made their appearance on bronze vessels in the Erligang phase of the early Shang dynasty (c. 1600-c.1046 BC), the four birds on this piece have long, sinuous, curling tails inspired by images of dragons.

This piece bears a six-character inscription, zuo fu Yi bao gui Shen, that may be translated as “This precious gui was bestowed to father Yi by Shen”. A gui of smaller size, but closely related in design and with the same inscription is illustrated in Wu Zhenfeng, Shangzhou qingtongqi mingwen ji tuxiang jicheng [Compendium of inscriptions and images of bronzes from the Shang and Zhou dynasties], vol. 9, Shanghai, 2012, no. 4288, together with another gui of similar design and the inscription written in a similar style, no. 4273.

A related gui unearthed from Xi’an, Shaanxi province, now in the National Museum of China, Beijing, is illustrated in Zhongguo qingtongqi quanji[Complete collects ion of Chinese archaic bronzes], vol. 5, Beijing, 1996, pl. 61; another from the collects ion of T. Yamamoto, is published in Sueji Umehara, Nihon Schūcho Shina kodō Seikwa/ Selected Relics of Ancient Chinese Bronzes from collects ions in Japan, vol. 2, Osaka, 1960, pl. 107; and a pair of gui, from the collects ion of Paulette Goddard Remarque, was sold in our London rooms, 13th December 1977, lot 214.

Gui were used during ritual ceremonies for storing cooked rice or millet. While this vessel shape first appeared in the Erligang phase, they were not widely produced and examples from this period are rare. This form increased in popularity from the early Western Zhou dynasty, and numerous variations of the original shape also began to appear. The present vessel, with its rounded body, everted rim and animal-head handles represents the most popular form.