Page 65 - Deydier The_Lippens_Collection_of_Ancient_Chinese_Bronzes

鼎

17 – archaic bronze food vessel ding
SHANG DYNASTY, ANYANG / YINXU PERIOD
CIRCA 14 – 12 / 11 CENTURIES B. C.
TH
TH
TH
H.: 24 CM D.: 18.8 CM
Archaic bronze vessel ding used for cooking. The round bowl-
shaped body is decorated with three large taotie masks in high re-
lief on a leiwen background. Each mask is formed of a pair of kui
dragons, shown in profile, and confronting each other over a verti-
cal flange and cast with large bulbous eyeballs, protruding snouts
and long eyebrows or horns curled downwards at their ends. The
upper part of the vessel is decorated with a band of pairs of kui
dragons shown in profile on a leiwen background, confronting each
other across a shorter vertical flange.
Two semi-circular handles are set on the vessel’s thick upper rim.
The vessel is supported by three thick, outwardly slanting cylindri-
cal feet, each decorated with a triangular motif in the shape of a
stylized cicada.
The whole vessel is covered with a light green and red patina.

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