Chinese Archaisitc Bronze Small Scholar Vase, 17th Century, China

The small vessel of elegant proportions and wonderfully cast. The small scholar’s vase takes the form of a miniature archaic zun, a vessel for pouring wine, and cast with geometric motifs. The neck of the vase cast with a pair of roundels and a pair of “jing” characters against a dense geometric diaper ground. The body of the vase cast with four stylized cicadas, their wings with a dense chevron pattern, the heads with a leiwen or key fret pattern. Another band of leiwen decorates the foot.

This small and elegant vase was made for use in a scholar’s studio, possibly as a small flower vase, or for incense tools.

For a similar example, of the same size, and with the same decorative motifs, but of square shape and stripped of its lacquer finish, see lot 13 in the Later Chinese Bronzes from the Collection of Mr and Mrs Gerard Hawthorn, Sotheby’s Hong Kong, December 2, 2015.