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1-07 Chinese Art - Volume I
Pictures
1. Bronze ritual vessel (chia) - Shang dynasty - 15th-13th century B.C.

Bronze ritual vessel (chia), with flat base and hollow legs of triangular section, simple strap handle and two columns on the rim ending in caps with 'whorl-circle' decoration. Two bands of decoration round the body with t'ao-t'ieh mask motives cast in thin raised lines, with narrow bands of raised circles above and below each band (height 33,1 cm).

2. Bronze ritual vessel (chia) - Shang dynasty - 13th-12th century B.C.

Bronze ritual vessel (chia), on three triangular section splayed legs, a short flat-based globular body, with a wide neck expanding to a flared rim on which stand two capped columns, and with a mask-mounted loop-handle at the side. Decorated round the body and the neck with bands of t'ao-t'ieh masks (height 32,8 cm).

3. Bronze ritual vessel (chia) - Shang dynasty - 15th-13th century B.C.

Bronze ritual vessel (chia), with flat base, on three heavy triangular section spreading legs, and with a flared mouth-rim from which rise two short capped columns. A loop-handle is fitted on the vessel on the farther side, not visible in the stereo-photograph. Decorated round the lower part of the body with raised 'whorl-circle' medallions, and round the upper, spreading section with a band of t'ao-t'ieh masks (height 25,4 cm).

4. Bronze ritual vessel (chia) - Shang dynasty - 15th-13th century B.C.

Bronze ritual vessel (chia), on three high legs, with a handle at one side, and two square-section capped columns rising from the flared rim, the caps ornamented with a spiral motive. Round the lower part of the body is a broad band composed of t'ao-t'ieh masks with narrow vertical ribs running through the centre (height 29,0 cm).

5. Bronze ritual vessel (fang-chia) - Shang dynasty - 12th-11th century B.C.

Bronze ritual vessel of almost rectangular cross section (fang-chia), with four legs of triangular section, and two short vertical columns on the rim with roof-like caps, a handle on one side with a bovine animal's head, and fitted with a flat cover in the centre of which are two addorsed animals forming the handle. Decorated with bands of t'ao-t'ieh masks and 'rising blades' round the body and with mask motives on the cover. Blade decoration on the legs (height 19,1 cm).

6. Bronze ritual vessel (chih) - From An-yang, Shang dynasty - 12th-11th century B.C.

Bronze ritual vessel (chih), with deep foot and flaring rim, decorated with bovine t'ao-t'ieh masks on the body, and with narrow k'uei dragon bands above and below (height 14,6 cm).

7. Bronze ritual vessel (chih) - Shang or Early Chou dynasty - 11th century B.C.

Bronze ritual vessel (chih), with bulbous body, spreading neck and foot. The relief decoration is in horizontal bands separated by plain vertical flanges, and both surfaces and background are smooth. Round the body is a wide band of t'ao-t'ieh masks. Above this and round the foot sections are bands of k'uei dragons; in the band immediately below the mouth-rim the t'ao-t'ieh masks are repeated. On the bottom of the inside is an inscription showing a man carrying a string of cowries (height 14,0 cm).

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