<I>Gu<I> (ritual wine vessel)

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Title	<I>Gu<I> (ritual wine vessel)
Artist	Artist Unknown (China)
Date	11th century BCE
Institution	Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Location	On view at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, G214

Medium:

Decorative Arts and Utilitarian Objects, Metalwork | Bronze

Size:

11 3/4 x 6 5/8 x 6 5/8 in. (29.85 x 16.83 x 16.83 cm)

Creation Place:

Asia, China

Culture:

Asia, China

Style:

Shang dynasty, 11th century BCE

Inscriptions:

The inscription, of which the first character, unreadable, is probably an 'X, being breveted, has made this vessel for Father Ting.'

Physical Description:

The decor is disposed in the three areas usual in vessels of this class the foot, bulb, and neck. The foot belt, divided into four panels by deeply scored flanges, displays a mask t'ao-tieh with a C-shaped mouthline, hooked forehead shield, small eyebrows, and S-shaped norns. Above is a narrow band with consecutive trunked dragons. The decor ground is of squared spirals throughout. The bulb, also divided into four panels, displays a t'ao-tieh bodied to the extent that some simple lines of a vertical body still remain above the leg. The central line of the face, with no forehead shield, is formed by the flange. The lower zone of the high throat is filled with consecutive snakes, their heads turned EN FACE. Above are slender rising blades, the major part of each filled with a t'ao-t'ieh to be seen from above. Streaked eyebrows appear over buldging eyes, and over these, again, long-drawn-out C-shaped figures forming the horns. Below the eyes are two C-shaped figures, modifications of mouthlines. At the end of the blade, separated from the t'ao-t'ieh by a narrow, empty band, is a V-figure- a corruption of a cicada drawing. Patina grey-green and blue-green with patches of red. Except for a cross-shaped perforation between the foot and the area above, the beaker is in almost every detail exactly similar to the one with a Yin inscription published in Huang, TSUN KU CHAI.

Credit:

Collection Minneapolis Institute of Arts; Bequest of Alfred F. Pillsbury

Accession Number:

50.46.45

Artist:

Role:

Added to Site:

February 28, 2009

<I>Gu<I> (ritual wine vessel)

Artist Unknown (China)

11th century BCE