Ritual wine warmer (jiao) with masks (taotie)

Bronze ritual tripod vessel with cover, of type jiao

Historical period(s)
late Anyang period, Late Shang dynasty, ca. 1100-1050 BCE
Medium
Bronze
Dimensions
H x W x D: 21.9 × 16.2 × 9.8 cm (8 5/8 × 6 3/8 × 3 7/8 in)
Geography
China, probably Henan province, Anyang
Credit Line
Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art
Accession Number
F1953.83a-b
On View Location
Sackler Gallery 23b: Anyang: China's Ancient City of Kings
Classification(s)
Metalwork, Vessel
Type

Ritual vessel: jiao

Keywords
Anyang period (ca. 1300 - ca. 1050 BCE), China, taotie
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
Description

Bronze ritual tripod vessel with cover, of type jiao

Inscription(s)

Inscribed in the lid and on the wall of the body by Bei Ya X, 葡(備)亞 X (“Deputy Officer of Armaments X”)

Label

Inscriptions inside the lid and container read:

On the day bingshen, the king bestowed cowry shells from Xi upon Fu, the Fuya officer. . . . [Fu] therefore made for his deceased Father Gui this vessel.

Published References
  • Sueji Umehara. Yin hsu: Ancient Capital of the Shang Dynasty at An-yang. Tokyo. pl. 75.
  • Hai wai i chen [Chinese Art in Overseas Collections]. Taipei, 1985. vol. 2: p. 46.
  • Chugoku bijutsu [Chinese Art in Western Collections]. 5 vols., Tokyo, 1972-1973. vol. 4: fig. 11.
  • Chin wen tsung chi. Taipei. vol. 6: p. 2379.
  • Dr. John Alexander Pope, Rutherford John Gettens, James Cahill, Noel Barnard. The Freer Chinese Bronzes. Oriental Studies Series, vol. 1, no. 7 Washington. cat. 26, p. 151.
Collection Area(s)
Chinese Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
SI Usage Statement

Usage Conditions Apply

There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery welcome information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

citation | Save this image How to download an image | Request Permission | Terms of Use