Page 81 - Deydier The_Lippens_Collection_of_Ancient_Chinese_Bronzes

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21 – archaic bronze food vessel yu
SHANG DYNASTY, ANYANG / YINXU PERIOD
TH
TH
CIRCA 14 – 12 / 11 CENTURIES B. C.
TH
H.: 14 CM D.: 19.5 CM
Archaic bronze ritual food vessel yu. The body is cast with three
large taotie masks on a tightly spiralled leiwen background. Each
mask is formed of a pair of kui dragons shown in profile confront-
ing each other over a vertical notched flange.
The everted neck of the vessel is decorated with a band of triangular
stylized cicada in the form of scroll-filled blades above a frieze of
pairs of kui dragons shown in profile and confronting each other over
a small taotie or animal mask in the round, on a leiwen background.
The vessel’s pedestal base is decorated with three pairs of addorsed
long-tailed dragons, their crested heads turned backwards from the
dividing flange.
The vessel has nice green patina.

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