Ritual vessel (hu)

The tendency noted earlier of enhancing the surface of bronze vessels with other metals such as copper, gold and silver reaches a climax toward the very end of the Bronze Age. This is a brilliant finale, a glorious conclusion for an art form that remained energetically alive for almost two millennia.

With its low-swung body encircled by raised plain bands and perched on a high conical toot, our hu is a typical Eastern Han variant of this ancient shape."' Its decor, however, is quite unique. It consists essentially of two friezes placed one on the neck and the other on the foot and showing dragons, birds, rabbits, feathered men and other mythological creatures, flying, dancing or running in a loose setting of spiraling clouds, small tangential circles and comma-shaped volutes. The upper frieze is framed by two narrow bands filled with dots and tangential spirals. The lower frieze is bordered by plain lines. While these designs may be derived from those we noticed in connection with 5th century BCE vessels they closely resemble patterns typical of the lacquer work of the Late Western Han and Eastern Han periods, including some lacquers excavated in Luolang. In this respect, it is interesting to note that our hu was found in Korea. The main features of the taotie masks are also emphasized by inlaid gold threads.