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BRONZE
STEAMER
Late Warring States to early Western Han period
3rd century BC
China
This unusual group of vessels represents a tour
de force in ancient Chinese bronze casting. They
relate stylistically and technically to artistic
developments that took place in the southern regions
of China in the Chu, late Warring states and early
western Han periods. The group consists of a steamer
(Xian), a bulb mouth Hu wine vessel and a bowl (Jian).
The restrained classical forms are enlivened with
rich gilded surfaces and vigorous silver inlaid
designs.
The steamer represents an extraordinary marriage
of artistic virtuosity and scientific technology
conceived as two separate elements that can be assembled
in two different ways. When not in use other than
as a status object, the steamer appears as a covered
bowl with the boiler section resting inside the
steamer element. When needed for cooking, the foot
rim of the steamer element fitted snugly over the
round mouth of the boiler which in turn was placed
on a hemispherical depression on a now missing stand
or stove.
A careful examination of the vessels ornamentation
and workmanship reveals an inlay technique not hitherto
described - and a degree of inventiveness that must
have demanded serious collaboration between artists,
designers and foundry specialists.
The inlay material has been
scientifically identified as silver amalgam by W.T.Chase
of the Arthur M Sackler Gallery and the Freer Gallery
of Art, Dr. Peter Northover of Cambridge University
and Dr. Nigel Seely of the Instute of Archaeology,
London University.
Steamer: Height 13.3 cm (5 ¼") Width: 23.3 cm (9
1/8")
Boiler: Height 13.4 cm (5 ¼") Width 23.5 cm (9 ¼")
Total combined height: 23.5 cm (9 ¼")
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