COLLECTION NAME:
The AMICA Library
Record
AMICA ID:
ASIA.1979.101a-b
AMICA Library Year:
1998
Object Type:
Decorative Arts and Utilitarian Objects
Creator Nationality:
Asian; Far East Asian; Chinese
Creator Name-CRT:
Chinese
Title:
Wine Vessel: You
View:
Full View
Creation Date:
Western Zhou period, c. late 11th-early 10th century BCE
Creation Start Date:
0
Creation End Date:
0
Materials and Techniques:
bronze
Classification Term:
Vessels
Creation Place:
North China
Dimensions:
H. 12 5/8 in. (32.1 cm) including handle; W. 9 1/2 in. (24.1 cm) across handle attachments
AMICA Contributor:
Asia Society
Owner Location:
New York, New York, USA
ID Number:
1979.101a-b
Credit Line:
Asia Society: The Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection
Context:
The description of the Shang (c. 1700-c. 1050 BCE) and Zhou (c. 1050-221 BCE) periods in Chinese history as a Great Bronze Age stems from both the astonishing variety of shapes and motifs found in their ritual vessels and the sheer technical complexity involved in producing them. The Zhou, one of a number of peoples who inhabited parts of northwest China, defeated the Shang and established a capital in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province. This early part of the dynasty is known as the Western Zhou (c. 1050-771 BCE).
Bronze vessels were items of luxury and power throughout the entire Zhou period, and changes in the types and decoration of these vessels illustrate the many cultural and political shifts that characterize this long and complicated era of Chinese history. The placement of the handles of this "you" bucket, from side to side rather than front to back, and its simple form help date this vessel to the early part of the Western Zhou in the 11th to early 10th century BCE. The shape of the bucket, the horned animals that mark the joint between the handle and the vessel, and the decoration of writhing narrow dragons against a background of thunderclouds ("leiwen")--found on the handle, the lid, and along the top and bottom of the vessel--derive from the art of the late Shang period. The words "fu gui", "Father Gui," are cast into both the cover and body of this bronze vessel; this may be a reference to the person who commissioned the piece.
Bronze vessels were items of luxury and power throughout the entire Zhou period, and changes in the types and decoration of these vessels illustrate the many cultural and political shifts that characterize this long and complicated era of Chinese history. The placement of the handles of this "you" bucket, from side to side rather than front to back, and its simple form help date this vessel to the early part of the Western Zhou in the 11th to early 10th century BCE. The shape of the bucket, the horned animals that mark the joint between the handle and the vessel, and the decoration of writhing narrow dragons against a background of thunderclouds ("leiwen")--found on the handle, the lid, and along the top and bottom of the vessel--derive from the art of the late Shang period. The words "fu gui", "Father Gui," are cast into both the cover and body of this bronze vessel; this may be a reference to the person who commissioned the piece.
Related Document Description:
Asia Society. "Handbook of the Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection." New York: Asia Society, [1981], p. 49.
Related Document Description:
Lee, Sherman E. "Asian Art: Selections from the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd--Part II." New York: Asia Society, 1975, pp. 36, 37, 95.
Related Image Identifier Link:
ASIA.1979.101.a.tif
Link To Source
Wine Vessel: You
