Bidspirit auction | Very Rare Bronze Gui, China,

Very Rare Bronze Gui, China, Ming Dynasty or Earlier, - Bronze, China, Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) or earlier, a bronze vessel in the form of a gui (ritual food vessel), bulbous with a flared rim and high foot ring, the surface displays a deep, natural patina in reddish-brown, green, and black. A characteristic feature is a continuous band of hemispherical knobs (star-of-Bethlehem) beneath the band, a decoration typical of gui vessels from the late Shang/early Western Zhou period (12th–10th centuries BCE). The whitish centers of the knobs may indicate twin castings. The interior shows significant oxidation. A significant ritual bronze vessel, H 24.5 cm x D 19.5 cm, weight 2092 g, small chip on the foot, from a European private collection.