MING DYNASTY (1368-1644)

The appreciation of Chinese bronze vessels is usually associated with the vast array of elaborate ritual vessels cast during China's bronze age from the Shang dynasty, around 1700 BC to the Han dynasty, around 220 AD. A 'later' group of bronzes were executed in imitation of archaic bronze forms and designs from the Song (960-1279) right through to the Qing dynasty (1644-1911). The current vase is a fine example of a Ming period tribute to China's traditions and designs of the ancient past, both in the taotie (animal masks) cast to the shoulder, and in the hu form, which in this case has been adapted into square-section.