East Asia, China, Early Shang Dynasty, ca. 1600 to 1300 BCE. A finely decorated, cast bronze "ding", a cauldron for holding food in the grave of an elite member of Chinese society. It features a shallow, round basin with a thick rim and three legs that taper to pointed feet. Large vertical loop handles rise from either side of the rim. Just under the rim, in a wide band around the upper and center body, is a band of cast decorative motifs with deep symbolic meaning - repeated, dragon-like zoomorphic faces and a densely patterned background. This special example also includes some smaller characters in the abstract pictographic writing of early China on its lower body (see more below). Size: 7.5" W x 7.25" H (19 cm x 18.4 cm)
According to the Harvard Art Museum, "One of the earliest forms of Chinese writing is preserved in the simple inscriptions on bronze vessels... Integrally cast into the bronzes - as opposed to being incised into the vessel after the metal had hardened - these marks were usually placed on the interior wall or floor of a vessel… Shang inscriptions tend to be highly pictographic, with many resembling birds, weapons, or humanoid figures. The inscriptions are not always translatable into modern Chinese characters, but most are identifiable as the names of either the aristocratic owners who commissioned the vessels, or the ancestors to whom they were dedicated."
Provenance: ex-private Ventura County, California, USA collection, acquired prior to 2008
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#155785
Condition
Intact aside from a single tiny hole in the basin. Rich deposits and beautiful turquoise patina do not obscure most of the fine details of the piece.