.i.\('ii:.\T ('in.\i:si'. hho.x/f.s 



(i;; 



•*5!?fe; 



arc t> |>i's of llic lii'dir/.c \csscls used in tlic I'ltcs of aiicrstoi- udrsliip, llic I'oi-iii 

 and detail of uliicli wi'i'c |)i'c>ci'ilicd \)\ the ritual of llic ancicnl national 

 ivliii'ion. riu' dcinautls of this i-i'lij;i()u.s cult created an ('jjocli (»f aftistic 

 \-ascs and other well-proportioned forms defined accordiiiji' to the nature 

 of the oll'erinus whether of wine, water, meat, i^rain or fruit. 



\(ssels for carr\ in>;' wine were of \ase forms. 'I'he (|uadranuuhir smooth 

 wine jar in the illustration hears this interesting' inscription, "Made in the 

 Slianu' faiiu' (eoiui aleher of the Ilani in the year A. I). 12." This type 

 oct'urs as early as the (lion dynasty. The ton, a sacrificial \cssel for 

 ofVerinys of meat, was shaped like a i^ohlet, a vessel of common utility 

 which seems to ha\e existed in the Hia dynasty (220.") to I 7<')f) 15. ( '. ). Our 

 example is a hron/e ton of the late Miiiij,- time, illustratinu' the howl with the 

 sti'in, the hase of which 

 is hell-shaped ; the c()\er 

 of this hronze has heen 

 lost. It is a yood imi- 

 tation of the ancient 

 Chou type (1122 to 2.V) 

 H. C). The fu, a 

 rectangular \- e s s e 1 

 evolved from a bas- 

 ket, was used for liold- 

 ing grain or fruits in 

 state worship. 



Tlie laru'e hronze 

 temi)le hell dates from 

 the ("hou period. It has 

 peg-like ornaments, the 

 utility or synd)()lism of 

 which is not entirely un- 

 derstood. Similar jx'g- 

 like forms ap|)ear on tlu' 

 hacks of the hronze 

 mirrors.' There are 

 many examples of me- 

 tallic mirrors in the col- 

 lection, none of which 

 are earlier than the Han , , . 



.\ \isscl 1)1' Ihf aiiciriu Clioii I.\ |)c lor olliiin^i (-(MtUcd meat 



dynasty, though literary t,, ,i„. spiiiis or anccsiors rriic covr is io.st) 

 references indicate the 



'Chinese ^Ietai. ^^lnnol^s, wiili Notes on Some .Vnciiiit SinTimi'iis of llic Mu.seo 

 Ciuirnot. Rv Kricdtich Mirth. 



BRONZE TOU 



