A bronze double-handle zun with taotie motifs

Eastern Zhou dynasty

Sold with an associated wooden stand.

H: 10 1/2, Dia: 8 1/4 in. (without stand (H: 26.67, Dia: 20.96 cm.)

Weight: 2,250 g.

Provenance: Collection of Dr. Schmitt. Dr. Schmitt is a professor emeritus of archeology from University of Minnesota. He was also a consultant for several museums in the Midwest United States.

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This elegantly-curved bronze hu vase features patterns of three-legged kui motifs to the body. A kui, also referred to as a kui dragon, is a motif that often appears on bronze wares of the Shang and Zhou dynasties. The shoulders of this vase feature mask-and-ring handles, which were rarely applied to bronze wares until the Spring and Autumn period. During the Eastern Zhou dynasty, the production of bronze wares reached its peak, as seen by this fine and well-preserved example of Eastern Zhou bronze.

The British Museum, No. 1960,0724.1

此件青銅壺，撇口束頸，溜肩鼓腹，獸首銜環耳，圈足。腹部繪有三足夔紋，底部光素。整器端莊大氣，意蘊厚重。夔紋，也常稱作夔龍紋，是商周時期青銅器上常見的一種爬行動物紋飾。“鋪首銜環”原指以門爲代表的建築上一類的獸形含環形象，後被人們作爲器物附件的名稱所使用。商代晚期及西周早期較少出現鋪首銜環，至春秋戰國時期廣泛出現這類裝飾。綜合工藝的精美程度和鋪首銜環的特徵，此壺應爲東周時期產物，而東周也是中國古代青銅鑄造的又一高峯期。此壺歷經幾千年歲月，保存如此完好，實屬不易。

參閱大英博物院-編號- 1960,0724.1

Wear and oxidation commensurate with age.