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Covered Wine Vessel (hu) with Design of Animals

Culture
Chinese
Date
late 6th–early 5th century BCE
made in
China, Asia
Classification
Containers, metalwork
Collection
Asian Art
Current Location
On View, Gallery 233
Dimensions
14 5/8 x 9 1/2 x 9 in. (37.1 x 24.1 x 22.9 cm)
Credit Line
Spink Asian Art Collection, Bequest of Edith J. and C. C. Johnson Spink
Rights
Contact Us
Object Number
40:2014a,b
NOTES
One of six similar bronzes known to exist, this very rare vessel has a slightly flared mouth, swollen body, and a narrow foot. The cover, a shallow dome with equidistant upright rings, is inlaid with three dragons surrounding a stag at the center. The shoulders bear two handles in the shape of animal-form masks, each securing a ring with cast decoration. The body is decorated in five registers of inlaid design separated by a figure resembling two triangles joined at their top point.

The many fantastical figures decorating this object include pairs of crested birds standing on dragon-headed snakes, reclining deer, long-horned feline beasts, and deer-headed creatures cavorting over the vessel’s surface. These elements, inlaid with copper, originate from the artistic traditions of southern China.

We regularly update records, which may be incomplete. If you have additional information, please contact us at provenance@slam.org.

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