Ref. no.:2108









Age:Mid Western Zhou 976-878 B.C.









Dimensions:16.3 x 44 cm











Description:
Of elongated form, the body in bowling pin shape supported on a splayed foot, the cover with two square casting holes set in the form of an inverted cup, with a fine bovine head mask in relief at centre of each side of the neck flanked by a band of abstracted ribbon-like kui dragons against a leiwen spiral ground, ended with a pair of tubular ears on sides all above a set of cast cross belts on body with convex pyramids at junctions, the interior of the neck cast with an inscription of five characters, "Zhi zuo fu xin yi" which meant Zhi made this vessel for Father Xin, in a silvery grey patina with areas of green malachite encrustation

Elongated bowling pin shape is a rare and special type of bronze hu that appeared only in early Western Zhou. The cross belts design was influenced and modified from belts of the nomadic cultures in northern and northeastern China. A similar bronze hu (no.105) of early Western Zhou with cross belts on body was excavated in 1955 from a cache in Haidaoyingzi, Lingyuan, Liaoning, illustrated in Wenwu can kao zi liao (Reference and Reports of Cultural Relics), 1955.8, pl.10, no.23. Another similar bronze hu (M2:1), also in bowling pin shape, was found in the excavation of Tomb M2 in Baifu Village, Changping, Beijing in 1975, illustrated in Kaogu (Archaeology), 1976.4, pl.2:4. Similar shaped piece was also found in central China, see a bronze hu (no.012) found in Pudu Village, Chang'an, Shaanxi in 1954, illustrated in Kaogu Xuebao (Acta Archaeologica Sinica), 1957.3, pl.4:3.