VARIOUS PROPERTIES
AN ARCHAIC BRONZE TRIPOD LIBATION VESSEL, JUE

SHANG DYNASTY

细节
AN ARCHAIC BRONZE TRIPOD LIBATION VESSEL, JUE
shang dynasty
The body supported on blade-like legs and cast with a wide band of taotie on a leiwen ground divided on one side by an ox-head loop handle concealing an impressed pictogram, the vertical posts with circular sword-hilt terminals, one post with another pictogram, the dark olive patina with some encrustation, one post and part of spout restored
8¾in. (21cm.) high

拍品专文

The pictogram concealed by the handle reads fu, 'father', the other is probably da, 'great.'
The style of relief decoration on this jue can be classified among Max Loehr's Style III group of the Erligang phase, with significant emphasis on continuous texturing where the taotie pattern has dissolved in stark clarity; it is later Style III bronzes such as this one that have handles elaborated with a bovine head, as opposed to the plain strap handles. For contemporary examples see those illustrated by R.W. Bagley, op.cit., cf. in particular no.14, pp.186ff.