Eastern Art Online, Yousef Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art

Ashmolean − Eastern Art Online, Yousef Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art

The Barlow Collection

A select catalogue of the Barlow collection of Chinese Ceramics, Bronzes and Jades by the University of Sussex (published Sussex, 2006).

The Barlow Collection by the University of Sussex

Publications online: 456 objects

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Ritual wine vessel, or zhi, with taotie pattern

  • loan
  • Literature notes

    The slender vessel has a pear-shaped body with a wide neck and rests on a tall flared foot. The shoulder is decorated with a band of taotie motifs, with two highly stylized masks with low relief eyes centred on shallow flanges, and other features dissolved into a triple band of curling motifs. The design is enclosed between two raised lines, and two further lines appear on the foot. The patina is green with reddish-brown patches. An inscription of three pictographs is cast on the base inside the vessel, consisting of a clan sign equivalent to the character bing, followed by the two characters fu bing [father bing].
  • Details

    Associated place
    Asia China (north) (place of creation)
    Date
    11th - 10th century BC (1100 - 901 BC)
    Western Zhou Dynasty (c. 1050 - c. 771 BC)
    Material and technique
    bronze
    Dimensions
    14 x 7 x 6 cm (height x width x depth)
    Material index
    formed cast
    Object type index
    No. of items
    1
    Credit line
    Lent by the Sir Alan Barlow Collection Trust.
    Accession no.
    LI1301.1
  • Further reading

    University of Sussex, and Arts and Humanities Research Council, The Barlow Collection, supervised by Regina Krahl, Maurice Howard, and Aiden Leeves (Sussex: University of Sussex, 2006), no. B1

Glossary

taotie

  • taotie

    Stylized monster mask decoration with prominent eyes and scrolling horns. The motif has been known since the 1100s. Its significance remains mysterious.

Location

    • currently in research collection

Objects are sometimes moved to a different location. Our object location data is usually updated on a monthly basis. Contact the Jameel Study Centre if you are planning to visit the museum to see a particular object on display, or would like to arrange an appointment to see an object in our reserve collections.

 

Publications online

  • The Barlow Collection by the University of Sussex

    The Barlow Collection

    The slender vessel has a pear-shaped body with a wide neck and rests on a tall flared foot. The shoulder is decorated with a band of taotie motifs, with two highly stylized masks with low relief eyes centred on shallow flanges, and other features dissolved into a triple band of curling motifs. The design is enclosed between two raised lines, and two further lines appear on the foot. The patina is green with reddish-brown patches. An inscription of three pictographs is cast on the base inside the vessel, consisting of a clan sign equivalent to the character bing, followed by the two characters fu bing [father bing].
Notice

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