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CHINA - 20th century.
Large circular bronze tripod basin,
Very slight traces of oxidation and a small casting flaw on the neck.
Dimensions: 25 x 61 x 61 cm.
The Taotie (饕餮) motif: The main decorative band around the basin depicts stylized masks of mythological monsters, characterized by round eyes in relief and geometric scrollwork. This is the most iconic decorative motif of the Chinese Bronze Age.
Leiwen (雷纹) motifs: The background decorations, formed of small square spirals, evoke the so-called “thunder” or “cloud” motifs, which are ubiquitous on archaic Chinese artifacts.
The notched vertical ridges (flanges): The small segmented protrusions that interrupt the decorative frieze at regular intervals are typical of the sectional casting techniques used in ancient China to conceal the joint lines.
This is a large bronze tripod basin directly inspired by the archaic ritual bronzes of ancient China, more specifically the styles developed during the Shang (商) and Zhou (周) dynasties.
Ref: 3DZ9Y088S5