CHINA ARQUEOLOGIA golden-age-chinese-archayeolog

132
Bronze hu vessel with bird-script design
Height 44.2 (17 Ys), diam. 28 (n)
Western Han Dynasty, late second century BCE
(c. 113)
From the tomb of Liu Sheng at Lingshan,
Mancheng, Hebei Province
Hebei Provincial Museum, Shijiazhuang
Eastern Zhou and Han inlaid bronzes of this quality
are exceptionally rare. Two similar wine vessels,
clearly prized possessions, were found in the personal
chamber of the king; the two share the form
of Han wine flasks, differing from each other in the
decoration of their lids and in the designs of their
horizontal bands.
Set on a small sloping foot, this elegant vessel 1
has a round, bulging belly and a short, curved neck
398 EARLY IMPERIAL CHINA