A BRONZE RITUAL TRIPOD WINE VESSEL, JIA, MID-SHANG DYNASTY, 13TH CENTURY BC

A BRONZE RITUAL TRIPOD WINE VESSEL, JIA
MID-SHANG DYNASTY, 13TH CENTURY BC
Raised on three thick, blade-shaped legs, the vessel is flat-cast on the body and the base of the neck with bands of taotie masks formed by birds with quills, rounded eyes, hooked beaks and scroll-filled bodies centered on narrow flanges, the decoration enhanced by a black matrix in the recessed areas. A plain strap handle is set to one side and the posts that rise from the rim have conical caps cast with comma motifs.
12 in. (30.5 cm.) high

Provenance

Acquired in Hong Kong, 1991.

PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT PRIVATE ASIAN COLLECTION