Dou food vessel, one of a pair
- Medium
- Bronze
- Dimensions
- 8 1/4 × 9 1/16 × 7 3/8 in., 3.5 lb. (20.96 × 23.02 × 18.73 cm, 1.6 kg) 3 15/16 in. (10 cm) (object part, foot) 6 3/4 in. (17.2 cm) (object part, mouth-a) 7 1/4 in. (18.42 cm) (object part, mouth-b)
- Genre
- Metalwork
Tags
China
About
These food containers, called dou, are cleverly designed. When turned upside down, the lids serve a secondary function as dishes to serve the food contained within. The majority of the decoration is composed of bands made up of repeated panels filled with minute comma patterns. Below the main zone is a row of heart-shaped hanging blades, again filled with commas. These basic design units were created with carved ceramic stamps that impressed the clay mold while still pliable. This technique greatly accelerated the process of mold production.
