Page 400 - The Golden Age of Chinese Archaeology: Celebrated Discoveries from the People’s Republic of China

that splays outward to a domed lid with three patterned decoration.
flanges on its top; two animal-headed masks hold When with pleasant emotions, we gather to
ring handles on the two sides. Fine curving patterns eat and drink,
— inlaid inscriptions composed of elaborate bird- It will be a grand occasion with abundant
script characters — decorate the main bands of the flavors.
vessel and the lid; the narrow relief borders of the
3 Body inscription
body and the foot are inlaid with designs of exotic
Fine food fills the gates to the bursting
animals, which seem to emerge from the scrolls.
point.
The inscriptions on this hu vessel suggest that
The more sustenance, the more we become
the flask held wine for the occupant of the tomb,
fat and healthy.
with the expectation that his afterlife was to be
We desire longevity and the dispelling of
enjoyed. The inscriptions have been studied by a disease.
2
number of scholars, and the following translation
Even 10,000 years would not be too much. 3
proposed:
A similar inscription is found on the second vessel.
1 Lid inscription The decoration of the bands seems to draw on
We have made a cover with an inscription of several sources: angular designs sprouting small
gold inlay. There are three words to a sen- quills appear on Eastern Zhou and Early Han
tence and it is decorated with fish patterns.
objects, such as the jade in the upper part of the
2 Neck inscription headrest (cat. 130), and similar designs are found on
4
Ordinarily a xizun was used, but now we have the coffin of the wife of the Marquis of Dai. Exotic
adopted the hu. animals also appear in lacquer painting, particu-
The cover is round with four bands of larly on pieces from Mawangdui in Hunan province

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