Lei (Ritual Wine Vessel)

Artist Unknown (China) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 02:01:40 -0400

Title	Lei (Ritual Wine Vessel)
Artist	Artist Unknown (China)
Date	late 4th century B.C.
Institution	Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Location	On view at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, G214

Wine vessel; bronze with gold, silver, and copper inlay. This vessel, variously called Hu, Lei, and Min is closely related to the Ting inlaid with silver, Karlgren Number 47 (50.46.76), and may possibly be part of the same set. The decor of the several belts is largely based on single and double volutes and volutes with triangles. These typical elements of the Huai decor must, to a degree, be extremely corrupted and geometricized derivatives of zoomorphic motifs (dragons and birds). The moveable ring handles, with an inlaid pattern, are fixed in the mouths of silver t'ao-t'ieh masks applied to the shoulder. The inlay in this decor belt includes gold as well as silver; the remainder is in silver only. This wine vessel is one of the most splendid examples of Late Chou bronze art and the inlay technique. Patina dark brown with green patches.

Lei (Ritual Wine Vessel)

Lei (Ritual Wine Vessel)

Lei (Ritual Wine Vessel)

Artist Unknown (China)

late 4th century B.C.