Vase with Archaistic Dragon Design

The principal decoration here consists of two wide bands of archaistic dragons, one around the body and the other around the shoulder. Each is composed of two pairs of stylized dragons with elaborately foliated angular tails. The austere decoration is derived from ancient ritual bronzes, where such confronted profile dragons were often found in border patterns. The overt use of ancient bronze motifs makes this vase appropriate for an ancestral altar table or a palace library.