Tubular Fitting
-399–-222
- Medium
- Bronze inlaid with gold and silver
- Dimensions
- 14.4 × 3.6 cm (5 5/8 × 1 7/16 in.); Diam.: 3.6 cm (1 7/16 in.)
- Genre
- bronze
- Museum
- Art Institute of Chicago
Tags
asian artfittingChinese (culture or style)bronzedecorative artsmetal
About
Sumptuously inlaid bronze tubes were designed as fittings for weapons, scepters, and chariots. This hexagonal fitting was probably a ferrule (dun), used to cap the lower end of a wood shaft for a bronze halberd. In its remarkable fluency, the inlaid design of volutes and spirals was largely inspired by contemporary lacquer painting.