Vessel (fang zun)

The surface patina on Song dynasty vessels was created with paints and lacquer rather than through corrosion from long-term burial as on Shang dynasty (approx. 1600–1050 BCE) bronzes. Compare the surface of this bronze with the ancient one next to it. Beginning in the Song dynasty, ancient ritual bronze vessels were deliberately collected as models for new bronzes to be used on altars. Chinese artisans created vessels that imitated ancient Shang dynasty bronzes but also added modern flourishes.