A New Chinese Bronze in the University Museum, Philadelphia

Abstract

WHEN IN CHINA during the summer of 1929 I purchased for the University Museum, Philadelphia, a bronze wine jar, or tsun, which was said to have been recently excavated (Plate I). It exhibits a number of exceedingly interesting features. In general it is typical of the so-called Shang bronzes, having a wide band of rich decoration in relief around the middle of the body while the high beaker mouth and spreading base are plain. Inside on the bottom is the typical Shang inscription. But it is unusual both on account of its squat shape and its spotty patina. This patina is in gray green patches over large areas of a brown madder color, while here and there are areas which appeared to have traces of gilding but are in reality only the polished metal itself. The squat shape is surprising, the tsutn nearly fits into a square, being seven and one-eighth inches high and the lip seven inches in diameter. Several tsun of this type in the National Museum in Peking are assigned to the Shang Dynasty by the experts who have just published the catalogue.1 They are all taller and more slender and graceful. In the matter of the design, called an ogre face, or t'ao-t'ieh, ours is almost identical with one of these as well as with a number of other well-known very early bronzes. I have grouped together here (Plate II) outline drawings of several to show the striking similarities of these with the mask from our bronze. All are alike in being close to the original naturalistic design, for each part has real meaning. Conventionality has set in, but the original significance of each feature and the relationship of each to the whole has not yet been lost. Even the upper lips draw back from the nostrils in a real snarl. This is one of the first features to lose its significance. The eyebrow is another. Compare with these an ogre mask from a Ilan bronze in the Sumitomo Collection (Plate