A Rare Pair of Bronze Hu (Wine Vessels)

Spring and Autumn Period
Height of the taller one: 54cm

Each with a compressed pear-shaped body, very crisply cast with four horizontal registers of scroll decoration, the wide lower band with large "C","G" and "S" - patterns against a triangular LEIWEN ground, the next register up with stylized double-headed dragons, the section above similarly decorated with single dragons, and the neck with rounded lappets repeating the decoration on the main band, and flanked with a pair of handles formed with two mythical animals, suspending loose flattened rings, all raised on spreading foot cast with overlapping U-shaped designs, the surface with a smooth grey-green patina, one hu set with a crown of eight pierced everted lappets.