An archaic bronze ritual pouring vessel (Yi), Late Western Zhou dynasty | 西周末 青銅竊曲紋龍鋬匜

Collection of Henryk Jozef Rudnicki (1908-2000), acquired the 6th or 16th December 1986 in Warsaw, and thence by descent.

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Jozef Rudnicki （1908-2000）收藏，得於1986年12月6日或16日華沙，此後家族傳承

Bronze yi emerged as a ritual vessel form during the late Western Zhou period and continued in popularity until the Warring States period. The function of yi has been documented since the earliest stages of Chinese history; yi were used together with water basins, pan, in ritual ceremonies to cleanse hands. It was stipulated in one of the ancient Chinese classics, Liji / The Book of Rites, that an elder would pour water from the yi for the ritual performers to wash their hands before proceeding with sacred rites, and the clan's junior member would concurrently carry a pan to collect the water. Yi had been a tangible symbol reflecting the ritual etiquette of royalty and the nobility during the Zhou dynasty. 

Zhu Fenghan further notes in his book that bronze yi, in addition to serving as water implements during ritual ceremonies, also functioned as wine vessels in the Eastern Zhou dynasty. According to the inscription of the Spring and Autumn period Lu Da Si Tu Yuan Yi 魯大司徒元匜, discovered in Qufu county, Shandong province during the Republic period, currently preserved in the Shandong Museum, Jinan, the vessel is identified as a 'drinking vessel' (see Zhu Fenghan, Zhongguo qingtongqi zonglun / A Comprehensive Survey of Chinese Bronzes, vol. 1, Shanghai, 2009, p. 288).

Henryk Józef Rudnicki (1908–2000) was a decorated Polish aviator and devoted collector of rare artworks and antiquities. A radio operator for LOT Polish Airlines, he was honored in 1939 for logging 500,000 kilometers in civil aviation. During World War II, he served in the Royal Air Force and received the Polish Air Force Medal in 1945. After the war, he resumed his aviation career and built an exceptional art collection reflecting his global travels and enduring cultural interests.

青銅匜作為禮器形制，始見於西周晚期，並於春秋至戰國時期廣為流行。關於匜的功能，早在中國歷史初期即有記載。根據《禮記》之記述，匜與盤常成對使用，為宗廟祭祀中潔手之禮器。當時由年長者持匜注水，供祭者洗手，而家族中輩分較低者則負責執盤以承接流水，此一洗手之儀為進行聖典之前的淨身預備，體現周代禮制中對潔淨與尊卑秩序的重視。

朱鳳瀚於其著作中更指出，匜除用於祭祀中洗手之外，亦於東周時期演變為盛酒之器。例如於民國年間於山東曲阜出土、現藏於濟南山東博物館的「魯大司徒元匜」，其銘文即載明該器為「飲器」，為此一用法提供明確實證（見朱鳳瀚，《中國青銅器綜論上》，上海，2009年，頁288）。此例不僅反映匜器於東周時期功用之多元，亦體現其於貴族禮制活動中的重要地位。

亨利克・尤澤夫・魯德尼茨基（Henryk Józef Rudnicki，1908–2000）是一位備受表彰的波蘭飛行員，同時也是熱衷於珍稀藝術與古董收藏的行家。1939年，他以波蘭國營航空公司無線電員身分飛行達五十萬公里，獲頒榮譽獎項。二戰期間，他加入英國皇家空軍服役，並於1945年獲頒波蘭空軍勳章。戰後，他重返民用航空領域，並憑藉其廣泛的旅行與文化熱情，建立起一座卓越的藝術收藏。