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Lot Essay
The meaning of the inscription cast in relief on the base of this vessel, ma bing jia xiong, is unclear, but may be literally translated as, 'horse, sickness, family, hero.'
The addition of the relief inscription on the base of this vessel is an unusual feature, but can be found on other bronze vessels of Han date, such as the hu in the Palace Museum, Beijing, which is cast in relief on its base with a nine-character inscription in seal script reading, "happiness comes with drinking wine and eating". See The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum - 28 - Bronze Articles for Daily Use, Hong Kong, 2006, pp. 62-3, no. 54. Compare, also, the bronze hu excavated in 1961 in Gaoyao Village, Shaanxi province, which is cast in relief on one side with an inscription in seal script reading, jiu jiang gong (Nine river offering), illustrated in Zhongguo Qingtongqi Quanji - 12 - Qin Han, Beijing, 1998, p. 67, no. 65.
The addition of the relief inscription on the base of this vessel is an unusual feature, but can be found on other bronze vessels of Han date, such as the hu in the Palace Museum, Beijing, which is cast in relief on its base with a nine-character inscription in seal script reading, "happiness comes with drinking wine and eating". See The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum - 28 - Bronze Articles for Daily Use, Hong Kong, 2006, pp. 62-3, no. 54. Compare, also, the bronze hu excavated in 1961 in Gaoyao Village, Shaanxi province, which is cast in relief on one side with an inscription in seal script reading, jiu jiang gong (Nine river offering), illustrated in Zhongguo Qingtongqi Quanji - 12 - Qin Han, Beijing, 1998, p. 67, no. 65.