47. IMPORTANT RÉCIPIENT RITUEL EN BRONZE ARCHAÏQUE, YA CHOU FU XIN GUI Fin de la Dynastie Shang/début de la Dynastie des Zhou de l'Ouest, XIème siècle av. J.-C. AN IMPORTANT ARCHAIC BRONZE RITUAL FOOD VESSEL, YA CHOU FU XIN GUI Late Shang dynasty/early Western Zhou dynasty, ca. 11th century BC heavily cast with a deep rounded body raised on a high splayed foot, rising to a flared rim, the sides set with a pair of handles issuing from streamlined flat-eared bovine heads, and issuing short hooked tabs, the body cast on east side with a large taotie mask flanked by a pair of taloned and quilled dragons, below a narrow neck band containing two beaked single-bodied dragons centering on a raised animal head in axial position on each side, the foot similarly decorated with two beaked confronting dragons on either side of a ridge with a taotie shield, the inside cast with a four-character inscription reading 'ya chou fu xin', the bronze a smooth, dark brownish-red colour. 30cm (11 3/4in) wide; 15.8cm (6 1/4in) high.