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Container in the Form of an Ancient Bronze Jar (hu)

A work made of earthenware.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of earthenware.

Date:

Warring States period (475–221 B.C.)

Artist:

China
probably Hebei province

About this artwork

The shape of this container and the monster-mask (taotie) decoration on its sides closely imitate those of bronze vessels. The use of clay rather than the more costly bronze reveals the object’s function as mingqi or “spirit good,” an object that was made specifically for the funerary context. The animal imagery and geometric patterns on the vessel surface, however, are distinctive to objects made of clay. Tigers, fish, and birds—images drawn from land, water, and air—represent early attempts in Chinese art to portray the natural world. Similar ceramics have been excavated from tombs of the ancient State of Yan, in the region of modern-day Beijing.

Status

On View, Gallery 132

Department

Arts of Asia

Title

Container in the Form of an Ancient Bronze Jar (hu)

Place

China (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Made 475 BCE–221 BCE

Medium

Earthenware

Dimensions

36 × 21.6 cm (14 × 8 1/2 in.); Diam.: 21.6 cm (8 1/2 in.)

Credit Line

Bequest of Russell Tyson

Reference Number

1964.723

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/21385/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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