, unknown maker from China

Archive Label:
This slender wine server, with its round body and long narrow spout, rests on three splayed legs of triangular section. A transitional break between the vertical body and the rounded bottom indicates the joint of two separate mold assemblies in which this piece was cast--one assembly constructed for the upper body, and the second for the curved bottom and legs. Encircling the vessel body is a broad band of decoration that exhibits a fluently cast t'ao-t'ieh mask with protuberant eyes.

The art of bronze casting of the Shang dynasty set a standard fo excellence never surpassed. The indigenous Chinese bronze culture, which flourished during the Shang and Chou dynasties, produced a vast quantity of vessels, implements, and weapons that are unsurpassed in their technical skill, intriguing decoration, and aesthetic appeal. From its beginning in the mid-second millenium B.C., bronze production became amazingly sophisticated. In bronze decoration, some elements are purely abstract, while others represent real and mythological creatures. The most frequently recurring design is the t'ao-t'ieh, a mask combining human and animal features. In certain periods, the imagery seemed threatening and formidable, but at other times, the designs were purely decorative. These bronzes provide the best evidence of the Shang and Chou cultural magnitude.