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Rectangular Tureen (fu)

A work made of bronze.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of bronze.

Date:

Eastern Zhou dynasty, Spring and Autumn period (770–481 B.C.)

Artist:

China

About this artwork

The lid and basin of this grain vessel are virtually identical in form; with the lid inverted, both pieces could be used as serving dishes. Its large lug handles are cast as vestiges of dragon heads with rolled snouts; smaller heads are applied to the lid. The surface design consists of flat, tessellated planes composed of rectangular units of tightly interlaced ribbons. This restrained pattern reflects a new interest in finely textured grid patterns that transformed bronze design in the sixth century B.C. The blue (azurite) and green (malachite) patina is copper corrosion, formed over centuries of burial underground.

The form of this vessel was originally based on a bamboo prototype, whose function was to hold grain, perhaps rice.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Arts of Asia

Title

Rectangular Tureen (fu)

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 770 BCE–445 BCE

Medium

Bronze

Dimensions

18.6 × 33.3 × 21 cm (7 5/16 × 13 1/8 × 8 1/2 in.)

Credit Line

Lucy Maud Buckingham Collection

Reference Number

1924.242

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/86391/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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