Jar (hu)
Eastern Zhou dynasty, Warring States period (475–221 B.C.)
Medium
Bronze inlaid with copper
Dimensions
44.7 × 30.6 cm (17 5/8 × 12 in.); Diam.: 30.5 cm (12 in.)
Classification
bronze
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
55821
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The introduction of metallic inlay enriched bronze vessels with color. In this jar, curvilinear silhouettes of birds, feline creatures, and stags were cast from flat sheets of copper and arranged in pairs in the clay mold assembly. Telltale signs of this technique appear around the foot rim, where some of these copper inlays broke and were displaced when molten bronze was poured into the assembly. These inlaid images, which were probably inspired by contemporary designs in lacquer painting and ...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...