East Asia, China, Shang dynasty to Western Zhou dynasty, ca. 11th century BCE. A gorgeously preserved ritual wine vessel from the Chinese Bronze Age. The vessel has a trumpet-shaped neck and mouth, a long body with four notched flanges, and a flat base. Etched decoration covers much of the surface - leiwen-filled blades ("leiwen" is a motif of thunder) rise up the neck while taotie masks decorate the midsection between the flanges, which serve as the noses of the creatures depicted. Size: 10.7" W x 9.55" H (27.2 cm x 24.3 cm)
We owe the preservation of these ancient bronzes to their burial, either in storage pits, where they were hastily hidden by fleeing members of a defeated elite house, or, more commonly, in tombs. During the Shang dynasty, members of the royalty were accompanied in the afterlife by their bronzes, ceramics, weapons, amulets, and ornaments, and even the human and animal entourage that surrounded them in life: servants, bodyguards, horses, chariots, and charioteers. The vast wealth is shocking - some tombs contain tens of thousands of items! During the Zhou and Han periods sumptuous burials continued, but human sacrifice was rarely practiced, although the custom was preserved by the substitution of figurines of wood or clay intended to resemble the retinue of the deceased.
See a very similar example from the tomb of a Western Zhou aristocrat in Shaanxi province at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (24.72.1–.14).
Provenance: ex-private Ventura County, California, USA collection, acquired prior to 2008
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#155696
Condition
Intact, with excellent mottled turquoise patina and well preserved details and form.