Important bronze donation to Shanghai Museum will 'fill a gap'
Two precious bronze vessels have recently been donated in the name of the late Chu Chong Yee and his wife to the Shanghai Museum.
One is gu (觚), a kind of drinking vessel from the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC), and the other is a gilded square bottle from the Western Han dynasty (202 BC-AD 8).
According to Zhou Ya, a bronze expert at Shanghai Museum, gu was an important vessel for sacrifice in ancient times. “The donation will fill a gap in the museum’s bronze collection.”
Because of the characters carved on the body, the gilded square bottle appears to have been owned by one of the major generals of Liu Bang, Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty.
Chu’s family revealed that the gu was his favorite collection, and the donation to Shanghai Museum was made in his last will.
Chu (1917-2014), a famous entrepreneur in Hong Kong, was noted for his collection in ancient bronze, ceramics, furniture and traditional ink-wash paintings.
A donation ceremony will be held on May 11 at Shanghai Museum.
Gu (left), an ancient drinking vessel, and the gilded square bottle
