HI, I am Sumaya Menon and I am an undergraduate student at the University of Kansas. I'm in the Early Chinese Art class and I'm doing a Wikipedia project on a chinese bronze vessel called the Hu (壺) Vessel. My group members in this project are Ychanooo and Pikkelle.
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Historical and Cultural references
editAlthough the Hu vessels have many cultural references to it, one of the most important one is that it was used as a "Wine Vessel" in many cultures.Hu vessel found in the tomb at Chengdu, was used for storing grain wine.In one of the tomb, the Hu vessel was kept at the foot of the deceased and it contained weapons and tools and there was no trace of food offerings.[3] Hu vessel called the Zhong Bo Hu was regarded as a bridal gift in the Middle Western Zhou Period and in the latter half of the Middle Western Zhou Period, large Hu vessels were seen as fashionable rather than as a ritual vessel.[4] The inscriptions of the Zhong Bo Hu revealed that it was for the use of the sons and grandsons of the brides. Hu vessels were also considered to be as heirloom vessels.In the Eastern Zhou Period the Hu vessel was used for funerary practices.Hu Vessel meant to the Shang culture as ritual vessels
Baihutan Hu vessel from the Warring State Period was used to convey a story about their daily activities as well as about the archery tournament and the theme of the story is the activities of Nobility.[5] Imagery such as the one depicted in the Baihuatan Hu vessel was never seen before, and they were extremely rare in the Zhou art.
Symbolism
editSome of the symbols in the Hu vessels are T’aot’ieh or demon face, dragons, realistic animals and birds, and some of the abstract symbols like bowstrings meanings were unknown.[6] The T’aot’ieh or demon face and dragons were associated with land and rain, the farmers worshiped them for fertile land and receiving rain because three thousand years ago, rain was a concern to the farmers and they depended on the deities to bring rainfall to their land.[7] The iconography in the Hu vessels was not just for the decorative aspects of the vessels but it was also important for the ritual ceremonies and their cult. The symbols in the Hu vessels also acted as protection against evil spirits and to being good fortune.If the symbols in the vessels were inaccurate then it was regarded as an unfortunate sin. In the Warring States Period, a Hu was found with pictorial decoration and it was also called the Baihuatan Hu and it was from a tomb in Chengdu. In this contained scenes of people hunting, having an archery tournament, preparation of food,women and children collecting mulberry's from the mulberry tree with baskets, Musicians, dancers and wild geese.In the lid of the vessel there were animals but there were no humans figures in those.[8]
Historical Development and Important Examples
edit- Sourcesof Chan Yen-Yi
- Metropolitan Museum of Art (1980). The Great Bronze Age of China. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Asian Art Museum (1977). Bronze Vessels of Ancient China in the Avery Brundage Collection. San Francisco: Asian Art Museum.
- Rawson, Jessica (1990). Western Zhou Ritual Bronzes from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections. Washington, D.C.: Sackler Foundation.
- Rawson, Jessica (1996). Mysteries of Ancient China: New Discoveries from the Early Dynasties. London: British Museum Press.
- Rawson, Jessica (1990). Ancient Chinese and Ordos Bronzes. Hong Kong: Oriental Ceramic Society of Hong Kong.
- Wood, Nigel (1989). "Ceramic Puzzles from China's Bronze Age". New Scientist: 3–50.
- Rawson, Jessica (1989). "Chu Influences on the Development of Han Bronze Vessels". Arts Asiatiques (44): 84–99.
- Weber, Charles D. (1968). "Chinese Pictorial Bronze Vessels of the Late Chou Period. Part IV". Artibus Asiae (30): 145–213+215–236.
Function and Use
editMost Chinese bronze vessels fall into two categories, food vessels or wine vessels. Hu vessels were used for wine and were an important part of cultural rituals. The hu is a pear shaped vessels that has been found in both a round and square form.[9]
Decor
editOne example from this time shows the entire vessel covered with images that correspond with everyday life. Silk worm farming, hunting, archery, and warfare are all represented.[10] Interlacing dragon motifs were popular during the Chou period.[11]
References
editEncyclopædia Britannica Online, s. v. "hu", accessed October 30, 2012, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/274091/hu.
Rawson, Jessica. “Two Chinese Bronze Ritual Vessels (British Museum)” The Burlington Magazine , Vol. 114, No. 837 (Dec., 1972), pp. 870+872-873
Herold, Robert J. "A Family of Post-Han Ritual Bronze Vessels" Artibus Asiae , Vol. 37, No. 4 (1975), pp. 259–279
Unknown, "A Masterpiece in Bronze" Bulletin of the City Art Museum of St. Louis , Vol. 26, No. 2 (APRIL, 1941), pp. 42–45
Weber, Charles D. "Chinese Pictorial Bronze Vessels of the Late Chou Period. Part IV" Artibus Asiae , Vol. 30, No. 2/3 (1968), pp. 145–213+215-236
Here are my notes about what I am doing.
I have been studying the function, use, and décor of hu vessels. So far, I have concentrated on journal articles and other online resources. Most of what I have found conforms to what we have been learning in class. I am particularly interested in the way the décor changes over time and have been looking for information regarding the different periods. For the final entry, I plan to have décor example from each of the main periods we have studied as well as more specific information regarding the use of the vessel. Though, that may not be that available. I have some references listed that I have not written about yet. They are there so you can see the journals I have been using.
citations
edit- ^ Birmingham Museum of Art (2010). Birmingham Museum of Art: Guide to the Collection. London, UK: GILES. p. 22. ISBN 978-1-904832-77-5.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ Hu (vessel)
- ^ Bagley, Robert (2001). Ancient Sichuan:Treasures from a Lost Civilization. Washington: The Seattle Art Museum in association with Princeton University Press. pp. 219–225. ISBN 0-691-08851-9.
- ^ Rawson, Jessica (1990). Western Zhou Ritual Bronzes from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections. Washington D.C.: The Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, Washington, D.C. and The Arthur M. sackler Museum, Harvard UNiversity, MAssachusetts.
- ^ Bagley, Robert (2001). Ancient Sichuan:Treasures from a Lost Civilization. Washington: The Seattle Art Museum in association with Princeton University Press. pp. 219–225. ISBN 0-691-08851-9.
- ^ Erdberg, Eleanor (1993). Ancient Chinese Bronzes. germany: Sienberg-Verlag, Bad Wildungen. pp. 20–160. ISBN 3-87747-063-7.
- ^ Erdberg, Eleanor (1993). Ancient Chinese Bronzes. germany: Sienberg-Verlag, Bad Wildungen. pp. 20–160. ISBN 3-87747-063-7.
- ^ "Study Blue". Study Blue Inc. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
- ^ Encyclopædia Britannica Online, s. v. "hu", accessed October 30, 2012
- ^ Encyclopædia Britannica Online, s. v. "hu", accessed November 10, 2012
- ^ Rawson, Jessica. “Two Chinese Bronze Ritual Vessels (British Museum)” pp. 870
sources(Sumaya)
edit- Bagley, Robert W. (1987). Shang Ritual Bronzes in the Arthur M. Sacklers Collections. Washington D.C: The Arthur M. Sackler Foundation. pp. 347–350. ISBN 0-674-80525-9.
- Rawson, Jessica (1990). Western Zhou Ritual Bronzes from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections. Washington D.C: The Arther M. Sackler Foundation. pp. 609–618.
- Von Erdberg, Eleanor (1978). Chinese Bronzes from the collection of Chester Dale and Dolly Carter. Switzerland: Artibus Asiae. pp. 52–59.
- Sullivan, Michael (1984). The Arts of China. California: University of California Press. pp. 47–81.
- Erdberg, Eleanor (1993). Ancient Chinese Bronzes:Terminology and Iconology. Germany: Siebenberg-Verlag. pp. 21–149. ISBN 3-87747-063-7.
- Bagley, Robert (2001). Ancient Sichuan. Washington: Scattle Art Museum in association with Princeton University Press. pp. 219–225. ISBN 0-691-088519.