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Asian Art
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Ritual Food Vessel (Ding)
1200–1100 B.C.E.
Bronze
10 1/8 × 6 7/8 × 6 7/8 in. (25.7 × 17.46 × 17.46 cm)
Hobart and Edward Small Moore Memorial Collection, Gift of Mrs. William H. Moore
1955.1.1
The two circular eyes in the center of this cauldron are part of a zoomorphic face that also includes two curling horns and a snout. Known as a taotie, this design is ubiquitous on Chinese ritual bronzes made during the Shang and Zhou dynasties. It is often, but not conclusively, identified as a protective figure.
Geography:
China
Status:
On view
Culture:
Chinese
Period:
Shang dynasty (1600–1050 B.C.E), Anyang phase (1300–1050 B.C.E)
Classification:
Containers - Metals
Provenance:
Moore Collection #1008
Bibliography:
Dr. Phyllis Ackerman, Ritual Bronzes of Ancient China (New York: The Dryden Press, 1945), pl. XIV.
Note: This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect the Yale University Art Gallery’s complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of such records is ongoing.
