Vase
206 BC-0008 AD (made), 1100-1500 (mounted)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
From the Song dynasty (960-1279) the fashion of collecting and display works of art for their aesthetic value was very widespread among Chinese scholars, officers and wealthy men. The particular favour for archaic bronzes and jades encouraged the production of contemporary objects in an 'archaic' style. Fakes also made their appearance as a consequence of the growing demands in the art market.
This bronze vase is a composite object made of several parts inlaid with gold and silver and soldered together. The two cylinders, probably chariot fittings, date to the Western Han dynasty (206 BC-AD 8), while the bases and the zoomorphic mount were added many centuries later, maybe between the Song and early Ming dynasties (1368-1644). A red and green patination, applied at the end, gave the surface a uniform 'archaic' appearance.
This bronze vase is a composite object made of several parts inlaid with gold and silver and soldered together. The two cylinders, probably chariot fittings, date to the Western Han dynasty (206 BC-AD 8), while the bases and the zoomorphic mount were added many centuries later, maybe between the Song and early Ming dynasties (1368-1644). A red and green patination, applied at the end, gave the surface a uniform 'archaic' appearance.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Bronze, inlaid with gold and silver |
| Brief description | Bronze 'champion's vase' inlaid with gold and silver, China, Western Han dynasty (206 BC-8 AD) and Song-Ming, 1100-1500 ca. |
| Physical description | Bronze 'champion's vase' inlaid with silver and gold, composed of several pieces soldered together: two cylinders placed side by side, two baserings, two upright zoomorphic figures alligned with the long join between the tubes, and one flat figure between the baserings. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Styles | |
| Credit line | Salting Bequest |
| Object history | Bequeathed by Mr. George Salting, accessioned in 1910. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project. |
| Production | The two cylinders were originally made during the Western Han dynasty (206 BC-8 AD) and mounted at a later date, in the Song (960-1279) or early Ming (1368-1644) period. |
| Summary | From the Song dynasty (960-1279) the fashion of collecting and display works of art for their aesthetic value was very widespread among Chinese scholars, officers and wealthy men. The particular favour for archaic bronzes and jades encouraged the production of contemporary objects in an 'archaic' style. Fakes also made their appearance as a consequence of the growing demands in the art market. This bronze vase is a composite object made of several parts inlaid with gold and silver and soldered together. The two cylinders, probably chariot fittings, date to the Western Han dynasty (206 BC-AD 8), while the bases and the zoomorphic mount were added many centuries later, maybe between the Song and early Ming dynasties (1368-1644). A red and green patination, applied at the end, gave the surface a uniform 'archaic' appearance. |
| Bibliographic reference | Rawski, Evelyn S. & Rawson, J. (Eds) China: The Three Emperors, 1662-1795, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 2005 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.730-1910 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | February 13, 2004 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
