The vessel was acquired in 1963 from C.T. Loo & Cie, Paris, France
Hankinta: C.T.Loo & Cie, Pariisi, Ranska, 1963
Map Of Museums
Why this is a Masterpiece
This vessel is a masterpiece because of its exceptional beauty and symbolic importance in sacrificial ceremonies.
Astia on mestariteos koska se on erityisen kauniisti muotoiltu ja sen merkitys uhriseremonioissa on ollut oleelliinen.
History of the Object
Some 30 different types of bronze sacrificial vessels are known from China's bronze age. Most of them were developed from clay and thus spring from Stone Age traditions. They were used in the important, regularly-performed sacrifices made to ancestral spirits in family temples. Through offerings, living members of a large family were able to come into contact with the spirits of their ancestors, who after being lavishly provided for, were supposed to support their descendants, sending them good harvests, wealth and abundant offspring.
Quite naturally, the vessels used for sacrificial ceremonies had to be beautiful and specific decorations endowed them with magic powers. This vessel is a tripod on solid legs with two vertical handles. Decoration in high relief covers most of the vessel. At the top, there is a border depicting three pairs of confronted dragons with 't´ao-t´ieh' masks between them. These types of masks probably go back to a dance mask used by rainmakers or shamans at special rites held to invoke rain. It is unknown how the dragon originated in Chinese art. It is possibly that it started with the alligator, which is a water animal. For thousands of years the dragon has been a symbol of life-giving rain. The dragons have beaks, C-horns and long bodies with coiled tails. Their front legs and wings have pointed tips. The dragons are separated by six flanges, three of them forming the bridges of the monster´s noses. Below the dragon border are triangles with cicadas. Cicadas symbolize resurrection. The animal figures stand out against a geometrical background of square spirals, i.e. the 'leiwen' or thunder and cloud pattern. The dark filling is in the geometrical design. There is a thick patina in green, blue and rust with textile impressions in some places.
Ting on pronsiinen uhriastia, tarkoitettu lihan keittämiseen. Pata on varustettu kolmella vankalla jalalla ja kahdella pystyllä kädensijalla. Koristeluna on kohoreliefiä Ylinnä on reunus, jossa on kolme paria vastakkain asetettuja lohikäärmeitä ja niiden välissä t'ao-t'ieh -villieläinnaamioita. Lohikäärmeillä on nokalliset päät, C-kirjaimen muotoiset sarvet ja pitkä ruumis, kiertynyt pyrstö sekä kielekkeeseen päättyvät etujalat ja siipi. Kuusi paarretta erottaa lohikäärmeitä, kolme muodostaa eläinnaamion kuononselän. Lohikäärmereunuksen alapuolella on kolmionmuotoiset kulmat, joissa on heinäsirkat. Eläinkuviot onsijoitettu geometrisesti neliöspiraaleihin (ns. lei-wen), ukkoskuvioin koristetulle pohjalle. Geometrisissa kuvioissa on tummaa täyteainetta. Paksu vihreä, sininen ja ruostepatina, jossa paikoin tekstiilipainanteita.
;){kind=small}
){kind=small}
