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Lot Essay
The bronze ritual vessels of the Shang dynasty (c. 1600-1050 BC) stand among the most extraordinary achievements in bronze casting. Their forms are not only striking and harmonious, but they also display an unparalleled richness of complex, integrally cast surface decoration, features rarely seen in bronzes from other cultures.
A ritual vessel intended for funerary ceremonies, this bronze tripod liding features three gently rounded lobes that merge seamlessly into a circular rim, from which rise two opposing loop handles. The vessel is supported by three long, plain, columnar legs.
Liding with large, relief-cast taotie masks on each lobe of the body represent one of the most popular vessel types in the late Shang and early Western Zhou periods. Each lobe of the vessel bears a finely executed taotie mask in low relief, strategically positioned above the juncture of the legs so that the supports appear to issue from the creature’s open jaws, a deliberate compositional device underscoring the dynamic interplay between form and ornament in early Chinese bronze design.
A ritual vessel intended for funerary ceremonies, this bronze tripod liding features three gently rounded lobes that merge seamlessly into a circular rim, from which rise two opposing loop handles. The vessel is supported by three long, plain, columnar legs.
Liding with large, relief-cast taotie masks on each lobe of the body represent one of the most popular vessel types in the late Shang and early Western Zhou periods. Each lobe of the vessel bears a finely executed taotie mask in low relief, strategically positioned above the juncture of the legs so that the supports appear to issue from the creature’s open jaws, a deliberate compositional device underscoring the dynamic interplay between form and ornament in early Chinese bronze design.