CHINA ARQUEOLOGIA golden-age-chinese-archayeolog

held up to the level of the nose, the left at chest
level. Each sleeved arm ends in an oversize hand
with a circular grip, suitable perhaps for grasping
a cylindrical and curved object (perhaps an ivory
tusk).
The thick neck supports a small head, the
features of which may be intended to represent a
mask and a large headdress. The figure's facial features
are of a piece with most of the individual
bronze heads from the site: wide slanted brows,
almond-shaped eyes with a median ridge, a pronounced
nose with cheek ridges extending from
the nostrils, a straight, tightly closed mouth, and
a square jaw. The large ears are squared and have
holes (possibly for earrings) in the lobes. The band
that encircles the head resembles that found on
another bronze head, which also features paired
loop motifs. 2 Above the band are petal forms, but
the center portion suggests an eyed mask or horns
to some observers. At the back of the head are two
openings that might have held an ornament, perhaps
resembling those of the two individual heads
(cats. 66, 67).
The surface of the body seems to represent a
three- or four-piece garment. 3 A long skirt hangs
below the knees, a separate rear panel ends in tails.
An upper garment covers the body from the waist
up but seems to have only a single (right) sleeve;
this garment has a flap at the figure's right with its
own patterning. Beneath this outer garment is an
inner jacket with long sleeves (and perhaps a middle
jacket with medium-length sleeves). A band
affixed behind the right armpit wraps over the
shoulder, crosses the chest, and is affixed again just
behind the left armpit. RT
1 Excavated in 1986; reported: Sichuan 1989, 3-6.
2 1(2/2:90; see Sichuan 1989, 7.
3 Wang and Wang 1993.
21O
BRONZE ACE CHINA