Page 28 - Deydier Early Chinese Bronzes

Burial objects uncovered from Tomb 87YLVM1 during excavation work
undertaken in the spring of 1987 made a great contribution to our
knowledge of the bronze ritual vessels of the Erlitou Culture 二里頭文化.
The tomb, belonging to Period IV of Erlitou, contained two important
ritual bronze vessels, a jia 斝 and a ding 鼎, both in forms and structures
hitherto unknown by archaeologists. This was especially true of the
ding 鼎, the first from such an early period to be scientifically excavated:

Jia 斝 87YLVM1:2 together with a sketch of it

• The 26.8 cm jia 斝 (87YLVM1:2) is different in shape and structure
from the jia 斝 excavated in 1984 at the same site. The convex
bottomed body section of the 1987 jia 斝 together with its bulbous,
hollow, rounded triangular legs make it look very similar to a li 鬲
ritual vessel (See page 51) and it is thus a harbinger of shapes to come
in the bronze vessels of the subsequent Erligang period 二里崗時期
th
th
th
(17 /16 - 14 centuries B.C.).

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