Water Ewer (He)

Eastern Zhou dynasty, Warring States period (480–221 B.C.), 4th century B.C.

China

Whereas this type of water ewer is found together with wine vessels in tombs of the Shang period, it typically appears with a shallow water basin (pan) in Zhou tombs. This change in burial context suggests a change in function—from a vessel used to dilute wine to one used to pour ablutions. In this imaginative, finely cast example, various creatures assume different parts: bird-men (or men with birdlike headdresses) form the legs; a bird’s head acts as the spout; and on the lid, a small monkey grasps a chain linked to a feline animal whose broadly arched back forms the handle.

Status: On View, Gallery 132
Department: Arts of Asia

Title: Water Ewer (He)
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.: Artist's working dates 399 BCE–300 BCE
Medium: Bronze with copper inlay
Dimensions: 25.4 × 21 cm (10 1/8 × 8 1/4 in.); Diam.: 21 cm (8 1/4 in.)
Credit Line: Lucy Maud Buckingham Collection
Reference Number: 1930.366
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/5410/manifest.json

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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.

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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.

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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.