CHINE, ÉPOQUE DES ROYAUMES COMBATTANTS (475-221 AV. J.-C.)

Jian served as a versatile vessel, adept at containing water or preserving frozen provisions. In its grand dimensions, Jian transcends mere functionality, assuming roles as both a ceremonial artifact and a decorative exhibit. A bronze jian from the Jingguantang Collection Part II, dated to the Eastern Zhou dynasty, with the sides similarly divided into three registers, and with four large, faceted loop handles with taotie masks, was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 20 March 1997, lot 41.