Jue wine vessel

This jue is typical of the late Shang dynasty. The vessel’s large bowl counterbalances the slender, spreading legs. Unusually, the taotie (composite animal) mask around the bowl’s waist is blown open, that is, the mask’s principal components are disconnected, its horns, shield, and C-shaped mouth line are so filled with spirals that they almost merge with the similarly decorated background. The deconstructed taotie was a new fashion, just beginning to appear in the late period of the Shang dynasty. A cow-like animal head decorates the top of the handle, and whorls appear on the tops of the two small posts standing on the rim.