On March 20, Christie’s will offer the 'Min' fanglei, a magnificent and highly important massive bronze ritual wine vessel, late Shang/Early Western Zhou dynasty, 12th/11th century BC (estimate on request).  This bronze has been extensively published since as early as 1928, and has been handled by some of the most important dealers and collectors of the early 20th century, including A.W. Bahr, C.F. Yau and C.T. Loo.  This vessel ranks among the most important Chinese archaic bronzes to ever appear at auction. When offered for sale at Christie’s New York in March 2001, it set a world record for any Asian work of art and remains the world auction record for any archaic Chinese bronze sold at auction.  With its combination of massive size, powerful proportions, and superb casting, this vessel is an extraordinary work and one of the foremost examples of its kind.  The surface is intricately cast with stylized animals and mysterious monster masks, known as taotie, that provide a fascinating insight into early Chinese culture and beliefs. The crisp, precise casting of this complex design vividly illustrates why bronze vessels created during the Shang and Zhou dynasties rank among the finest examples of bronze casting the world has ever seen.