About the Work

The cup is raised on a slightly splayed foot, the gently waisted sides rising to a spreading mouth rim. The exterior is finely engraved with a scrolling floral design interspersed with birds in flight, below a raised band and a further scroll encircling the mouth, all against a fine ring-punched ground. The recessed base is similarly engraved.

Some areas of malachite encrustation are visible along the mouth and foot rim.

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Provenance

Formerly in the collection of Erwin Harris, Miami, Florida, prior to 1991
Christie’s New York, 2017

Literature

A very similar gilt-bronze cup, formerly in the Malcolm Collection, was exhibited at the O.C.S. exhibition The Arts of the T’ang Dynasty, 1955, catalogue no. 374. Another cup, in the collection of the Nelson Atkins Museum, Kansas City, was exhibited at the China Institute in America and published in the catalogue Early Chinese Gold and Silver, 19771, catalogue no. 49.

Published:
Christie’s New York, The Harris Collection: Important Early Chinese Art, 16 March, 2017, lot 876