Bronzes 青铜器

Loose-ring Vase 活環瓶   Bronze銅  Ming dynasty 明 (1368-1644)  China 中國

This bronze vase continues the bronze casting tradition of the Song dynasty but the craftsman, instead of copying motifs from the past, has taken motifs from different periods and combined them into something new.

The vase has a squat baluster-shaped body with a tall neck and flared mouth. The shape is likely based on hu vessels pf the Warring States period, but with a longer neck. The leaf lappet motifs are popular on Ming dynasty blue and white porcelains, while the loose rings are found on archaic bronze vessels as handles or cover finials. Most unusual however, is that the craftsman has used the loose rings as a main decorative motif, covering almost the entire neck and body of the vase, to create something new and eye-catching.

這件青銅花瓶延續了宋代的青銅鑄造傳統，但工匠並沒有復製過去的圖案，而是將不同時期的圖案取而代之，並將它們組合成新的東西。

這個花瓶有一個低矮的欄杆狀的身體，高頸和張開的瓶口。它的形狀很可能是基於戰國時期的胡器，但頸部較長。葉垂圖案在明朝青花瓷上很流行，而鬆散的環在古代青銅器上被發現作為手柄或蓋尾。然而最不尋常的是，工匠使用鬆散的圓環戒指作為主要的裝飾主題，幾乎覆蓋了整個花瓶的頸部和身體，創造出新的和引人注目的東西。

Loose-ring Vase 饕餮紋活環瓶  Bronze 銅  Ming dynasty 明 (1368-1644)  China 中國

This squared bronze vase takes its inspiration from archaic gu vessels. A gu is a ritual vessel from the Shang and Zhou dynasties. It was used to drink wine or to offer ritual libations.

In this vase, the central section is larger than an archaic gu and has been cast with taotie masks on a ground of squared-spirals called leiwen. The flaring neck is cast with leafy blades above a band of confronting phoenix. The tall foot is decorated with pendant lappets enclosing archaistic motifs. To add interest, each of the sides have been accented with loops suspending loose rings.

這個方形青銅花瓶的靈感來自古代的青銅禮器。觚（gu）是商周時期的飲酒器，它被用來喝酒或提供古代儀式上的盛酒器皿。

在這只花瓶中，中心部分比古代的觚（gu）更大，並被鑄造在一個正方形螺旋地被稱為雷溫的饕餮面具。張開的脖子上鑄有葉片，上面是一束對峙的鳳凰，高高的腳是裝飾與吊墜吊架封閉的古代圖案。為了增加趣味性，每一面都用環形懸掛鬆散的環來強調。

Pouring Vessel 匜  Bronze inlaid with gold and silver 銅嵌金銀  Han dynasty 漢 (206 BC-220 AD)  China 中國

The form of this vessel is purely utilitarian, the only decoration being a band of gold between two silver bands that encircles the rim, which is cast with a wide, flaring spout. A loop is fitted beneath the spout to allow the vessel to be attached or suspended. To the left of the loop there is an inscription to the owner, Lord Xinyang.

這種容器的設計純粹是實用的，是一種形狀像瓢的器具，盛水、酒用。唯一的裝飾是環繞邊緣鑄有一圈寬帶，寬帶由兩個銀帶之間有一圈金帶組成，還有張開的壺嘴。在壺嘴下方安裝了一個環，使容器可以連接或懸掛。在環的左邊有一段銘文，表明這個物品的主人是信陽君。

Gui-form Censer 仿古饕餮紋簋  Bronze  銅 Ming dynasty 明 (1368-1644)  China 中國

This Ming dynasty censer is an homage to Zhou dynasty gui vessels. It builds on the antiquarian tradition of making bronze vessels in archaic styles that had started during the Song dynasty.

The body of this vessel is cast with a large taotie mask on each side, bisected by a raised flange. The pedestal foot is encircled by a band of snakes. All the decoration is cast in relief against a ground of dense squared-spirals called leiwen. Two loop handles with bovine heads and pendant tabs extend from the sides.

這件明代香爐是對周代簋器的致敬，它延續了在宋代開始的製作古風青銅器皿的傳統風格。

這个簋的主體在每側鑄有一個大饕餮面具，由一個凸起的法蘭一分為二，基座腳被一圈蛇環繞。所有的裝飾都是在被稱為雷紋的密集方形螺旋地面上浮雕的，兩個帶有牛頭和吊環的環形提手從側面延伸。

Archaic Bronze Ritual Tripod Vessel and Cover.jpg

Archaic Bronze Ritual Tripod Vessel and Cover 饕餮活環耳三犧蓋  Bronze 青銅  Warring States period 戰國 (475-221 BC) China 中國

Vessels supported on legs were used for cooking, storage, and for making ritual offerings to gods and ancestors. The earliest of these vessels, called ding, were made of clay, and date to the Neolithic period. The best known ding however, are the bronze examples from the Shang and Zhou dynasties. During the Zhou period, changes to social and religious practices deemphasized the ritual uses of ding, and their function shifted from solely religious to more secular. The Zhou elites used the ding to announce status, and included them in their burials as a display of status to the living and the spirits in the afterlife. The higher the number of ding buried in the grave, the higher the status of the deceased, with emperors being buried with a maximum of nine.

This example has a compressed spherical body. The rounded sides are cast with opposing taotie handles suspending loose rings, while the sides of the body and cover are decorated with two concentric rope-twist bands. The fitted dome cover is cast with three evenly-spaced recumbent beasts surrounding the loop finial fitted with a loose ring.

這個用腿支撐起來的容器用於烹飪、儲存和向神及祖先祭祀。最早時期的這類器皿叫做鼎。鼎是用粘土製成的，可以追溯到新石器時代。然而，最著名的鼎是商代和周代的青銅鼎。在周朝時期，社會和宗教實踐的變化不再強調鼎的儀式用途，其功能也從宗教轉向了世俗。周朝的精英階級用鼎來表明地位，並在他們的葬禮上使用鼎來向生者和來生的靈魂展示地位。墓中埋鼎的數量越多則說明地位不高，皇帝埋葬鼎的數量最多為9個。

這個容器是一個壓縮的球形物體。圓形的外邊是鑄造而成，兩邊對立位置的饕餮手柄懸掛著兩個鬆散的圓環，而身體和蓋的兩邊裝飾著兩個同心繩捻帶。圓頂的蓋正中間有一個鬆散的圓環，周邊坐落著三個均勻間距的平臥神獸。

Money Tree 搖錢樹  Cast bronze 青銅  Eastern Han dynasty 東漢 (25–220 AD)  China 中國

Money trees were made to be interred in the graves of the wealthy, so that the deceased could continue to enjoy everlasting wealth in the afterlife. Such money trees were especially popular in central Sichuan province. The crown of the tree features various deities, mythical creatures and phoenixes. Below the crown are five tiers of branches. Two additional large phoenixes perch at the ends of the branches in the top tier. The branches of the tiers not only bear circular coins with square holes in the center, many of which have wavy lines extending from the edges, likely representing rays of light, but the top two tiers also include animals, such as goats, wolves, deer and monkeys with humans engaged in a hunt, while the lower tiers include other human figures engaged in ritual or dance. Dragons in profile appear between the tiers. The scenes portrayed on the branches likely represent deities whose blessings are sought to protect the deceased on their journey to the afterlife, as well as scenes that the deceased would have encountered in daily life while alive. The tree is supported in a ceramic base made in the shape of a ram seated on a base decorated with human figures carrying tribute molded in relief on the sides.

發財樹被埋在富人的墳墓裡，讓死者在來世可以繼續享受永恆的財富。這種搖錢樹在四川中部特別受歡迎。樹冠上有各種神靈、神話生物和鳳凰。冠下有五層樹枝，另外兩隻大鳳凰棲息在頂層樹枝的末端。兩層的枝杈不僅有圓形硬幣，而且硬幣中間有方孔，許多硬幣的邊緣有波浪線延伸，这很可能代表光線。最上面的兩層還包括動物，如山羊、狼、鹿猴子和人類一起狩獵，而比較低的樹幹上包括其他從事儀式或舞蹈的人物。側面的龍出現在樹幹上樹枝之間，樹枝上描繪的場景可能代表了在死者前往來世的旅程中尋求祝福保護死者的神靈，以及死者在生前日常生活中會遇到的場景。這棵樹被支撐在一個以公羊形狀製成的陶瓷底座上，底座上裝飾著人物，兩側飾有浮雕。

Helmet 獸面紋頭盔  Bronze 銅  Shang dynasty 商 (c. 1200 BC)  China 中國

This remarkable dome-shaped helmet is cast to the front with a fearsome-looking zoomorphic face. The face has a pair of large, bulging eyes flaking a nose with prominent, curled alar creases. Above the eyes are a pair of large motifs suggesting horns, and to the sides are a pair of curled ears. The helmet has a prominent ridge down the center that leads upwards towards a hollow tube, which would have held some sort of feathered crest or tassel. The face on the mask closely resembles the taotie motif found on many Shang ritual bronzes.
This example closely resembles a similar helmet unearthed from a burial mound in Dayangzhou, Xingan country, Jiangxi province in 1989 and currently in the collection of the Jiangxi Provincial Museum. While dating to the Shang period, the Dayangzhou tomb is too far south to have been considered part of Shang territory. It is uncertain if such helmets were worn in battle, only used in ceremonies or for burial. What is certain however, is that the owner of such a helmet, would have been of high social status, as most helmets of the period lack such ornamentation and are plain, functional domes.

這個引人注目的圓頂頭前面鑄有一個可怕的獸形臉。這張臉有一雙凸出的大眼睛，鼻子上有突出的、捲曲的鼻翼摺痕。眼睛上方有一對較大的圖案，讓人聯想到角，兩側是一對捲曲的耳朵。頭盔的頂端正中間有一個向上凸起中空的管子，裡面可能用來裝某種羽毛頂或流蘇。頭盔上的臉很像很多商朝儀式青銅器上的饕餮圖案。
這個頭盔與1989年在江西省新干大洋洲出土的一個類似的頭盔非常相似，目前收藏於江西省博物館。雖然可以追溯到商朝，但大洋洲墓太過南方，不被認為是商朝領土的一部分。目前尚不清楚這種頭盔是在戰鬥中佩戴的，還是只在儀式或埋葬時使用的。但可以肯定的是，這種頭盔的主人一定是社會地位很高的人，因為那個時期的大多數頭盔都沒有這種裝飾，而是普通的功能性圓頂。

Wine Vessel (Hu) with chain handle 鏈柄酒器（壺） Cast bronze 鑄青銅 Western Han Dynasty 西漢(206 BC – 9 AD) China 中國

The vessel of elegant proportions, with a compressed globular body resting on a high splayed foot. The vessel is mostly undecorated, save for a pair of taotie (monster) masks with loose ring handles, and bands of raised ridges that circumscribe the body. A close-fitting lid surmounts the squat neck and wide, everted mouth. The most notable feature of this vessel is the attached chain and handle that secures the lid to the vessel. The handle formed as a pair of dragon heads.

容器比例優雅，壓縮的球形主體擱在高張開的腳上。這件器物大部分沒有裝飾，除了一對帶有鬆散環狀手柄的饕餮面具，以及環繞身體的凸起的脊帶。緊貼的蓋子覆蓋在深蹲的頸部和寬闊的外翻壺口上。該容器最顯著的特點是連接的鏈條和手柄，可將蓋子固定到容器上，手柄則是一對龍頭。

A Large Bronze Censer 18th Century

Finely cast with a compressed globular body supported on a slayed foot and surmounted by a neck with a flared mouth. The sides of the body cast in high relief, one side with a scene of a scholar welcoming a visiting scholar in front of the gate to his walled mansion, the visiting scholar's attendant carrying a wrapped 'qin.' The other side cast with a scene of two scholars seated in a courtyard garden playing 'weiqi.' The two scenes separated from each other by a pair of opposing loop handles emerging from the mouths of mythical beasts, attached to the neck. The neck and foot cast with raised bands of blossoms and scrolling foliage.

A Bronze Figure of a Caparisoned Elephant 18th Century

Cast standing four-square with its head turned to the right, the sturdy body richly adorned with beaded chains arrayed across its shoulders and rump. The back draped with a patterned blanket supporting a baluster vase. The sides of the vase decorated with a pair of opposing mythical beast mask handles suspending loose-rings, set between concentric bands of beaded chains below a tall neck rising to a quadrilobed mouth. The sides of the neck are decorated with boldly cast blossoms and scrolling leaves. The head of the elephant is draped with a foliage-edged covering and decorated with further beaded chains.