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Source Description

The hunting scenes in flat, low relief on this vessel are among the earliest pictorial scenes in Chinese art, dating from the beginning of the Late Zhou period (481–221 BC).<br><br>There are six horizontal bands of low relief designs across the body of the vessel. Each is composed of repeating motifs. The short slightly flaring neck has a narrow band of plait pattern, below which is a vivid hunting scene. The hunter holding a long spear and a sword faces off with a feline covered in circle patterns.<br><br>The main body of the vessel is decorated with two wide bands of interlacing dragons, separated by a band with another hunting scene. This hunter faces two horned beasts whose rear leg has been pierced by a spear.<br><br>The repeating pattern in the lowest band features two long-legged birds and a small fish.

Scholar Source Context

Document identity

localId

148339

label

Hu (Jar)

core

obj

dtoType

object

pageCount

Source metadata

148339

contentType

object

title

Hu (Jar)

description

The hunting scenes in flat, low relief on this vessel are among the earliest pictorial scenes in Chinese art, dating from the beginning of the Late Zhou period (481–221 BC). There are six horizontal bands of low relief designs across the body of the vessel. Each is composed of repeating motifs. The short slightly flaring neck has a narrow band of plait pattern, below which is a vivid hunting scene. The hunter holding a long spear and a sword faces off with a feline covered in circle patterns. The main body of the vessel is decorated with two wide bands of interlacing dragons, separated by a band with another hunting scene. This hunter faces two horned beasts whose rear leg has been pierced by a spear. The repeating pattern in the lowest band features two long-legged birds and a small fish.

date

481–221 BCE

citation

https://clevelandart.org/art/1975.62

rights

CC0

rightsUri

CC0

language

wikidata

Q79928660

genreSpecific

Metalwork

iiifBase

https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1975.62/1975.62_web.jpg

thumbnailUrl

https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1975.62/1975.62_web.jpg

largeImageUrl

https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1975.62/1975.62_web.jpg

imageCount

source

import

dimensionsRaw

Overall: 25.5 cm (10 1/16 in.)

cul

China, Eastern Zhou dynasty (770–256 BCE), Warring States period (475–221 BCE)

accession

1975.62

Source extras

tec

bronze

tombstone

Hu (Jar) (壺), 481–221 BCE. China, Eastern Zhou dynasty (770–256 BCE), Warring States period (475–221 BCE). Bronze; overall: 25.5 cm (10 1/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund, 1975.62

titleInOriginalLanguage

壺

collection

China - Zhou Dynasty

didYouKnow

On the vessel’s shoulders are applied taotie masks from which stem vertical loops for holding the vessel possibly with a rope.

citations

citation

The Chinese Exhibition; A Commemorative Catalogue of the International Exhibition of Chinese Art, Royal Academy of Arts, November 1935-March 1936. London: Faber and Faber, 1936.

page_number

Mentioned: cat. no. 166

citation

Sirén, Osvald. A History of Early Chinese Art. London: E. Benn, Limited, 1929.

page_number

Reproduced: pl. 101

citation

Kümmel, Otto. Chinesische Kunst; zweihundert Hauptwerke der Ausstellung der Gesellschaft für Ostasiatische Kunst in der Preussischen Akademie der Künste, Berlin, 1929, herausgegeben von Otto Kümmel. Berlin: B. Cassirer, 1930.

page_number

Mentioned and Reproduced: p. 21 and pl. XXXI

citation

d'Ardenne de Tizac, H. La sculpture chinoise. Paris: G. Van Oest, 1931.

page_number

Reproduced: pl. XXXIII

citation

Umehara, Sueji 梅原末治. ŌBei shūcho Shina kodō seika [歐米蒐儲支那古銅精華 = Selected relics of ancient Chinese bronzes from collections in Europe and America]. Ōsaka: Yamanaka Shōkai, 1933.

page_number

Reproduced: vol. III, pl. 212

citation

Salles, Georges, and Madeleine David. Bronzes chinois des dynasties Tcheou, Tsʻin & Han. Paris, France: Musée de l'Orangerie, 1934.

page_number

cat. no. 397

citation

Vignier, Charles. Notes inédites, "l'Exposition de Bronzes Chinois," Paris, Musée de l'Orangerie, 1934. Revue des arts asiatiques vol. VIII, no. III.

page_number

Reproduced: pl. XLII

citation

Umehara, Sueji 梅原末治. Sengoku shiki dôki no kenkyu [戰國式銅器の研究 = Étude des bronzes des royaumes combattants]. Kyôto: Tôhô bunka gakuin Kyôto kenkyûjo, 1936.

page_number

Reproduced: Pls. 92 and 94

citation

Karlgren, Bernhard. "New Studies on Chinese Bronzes." Bulletin, vol. 9 Stockholm, 1937.

page_number

Reproduced: pl. LIX, 2 and LX, 2

citation

Rong, Geng 容庚 [Jung Keng]. Shang Zhou yi qi tong kao [商周彝器通考 = The Bronzes of Shang and Chou]. [Beiping]: Hafo Yanjing xue she, 1941.

page_number

Reproduced: Pl. 400

citation

Sirén, Osvald. Kinas konst under tre årtusenden. Stockholm: Natur och kultur, 1942.

page_number

Reproduced: pl. 48-C

citation

Visser, H. F. E. Asiatic Art in Private Collections of Holland and Belgium. Amsterdam: "De Spieghel" Pub. Co, 1948.

page_number

Reproduced: pl. 27, no. 29

citation

Weber, Charles D. “Chinese Pictorial Bronze Vessels of the Late Chou Period. Part III.” Artibus Asiae 29, no. 2/3 (1967): 115–192.

page_number

Reproduced:

url

https://www.jstor.org/stable/3250272

citation

Lee, Sherman E. “The Year in Review for 1975.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 63, no. 2 (February 1976): 31–71.

page_number

Mentioned: no. 177, pp. 33, 71; Reproduced: no. 177, p. 55

url

https://www.jstor.org/stable/25152624

citation

The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978.

page_number

Reproduced: p. 326

url

https://archive.org/details/CMAHandbook1978/page/n346

citation

The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1991.

page_number

Reproduced: p. 9

url

https://archive.org/details/CMAHandbook1991/page/n24

citation

Eskenazi, Giuseppe, and Hajni Elias. A Dealer's Hand: The Chinese Art World Through the Eyes of Giuseppe Eskenazi. London, England: Scala, 2012.

page_number

Mentioned: p. 32; Reproduced: p. 33

url

https://clevelandart.org/art/1975.62

creditline

Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund

updatedAt

2026-05-29 07:37:36.756000

imageUrl

https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1975.62/1975.62_print.jpg

sourceId

148339

dept

Chinese Art

coll

China - Zhou Dynasty

med

bronze

thumbnail_url

image_url

Single page context

seq

pageIndex

type

photo

url

https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1975.62/1975.62_web.jpg

mediaId

6ebbe4d4bec5b67c

mus / cleveland / obj

Hu (Jar)

The hunting scenes in flat, low relief on this vessel are among the earliest pictorial scenes in Chinese art, dating from the beginning of the Late Zhou period (481–221 BC).There are six horizontal bands of low relief designs across the body of the vessel....

ID: 148339
Type: object
Date: 481–221 BCE
Dimensions: Overall: 25.5 cm (10 1/16 in.)
Credit: https://clevelandart.org/art/1975.62

Image

Metadata

id	148339
contentType	object
rights	CC0
rightsUri	CC0
language	en
wikidata	Q79928660
genreSpecific	Metalwork
iiifBase	https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1975.62/1975.62_web.jpg
thumbnailUrl	https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1975.62/1975.62_web.jpg
largeImageUrl	https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1975.62/1975.62_web.jpg
imageCount	1
source	import
cul	China, Eastern Zhou dynasty (770–256 BCE), Warring States period (475–221 BCE)
accession	1975.62

Additional Source Fields

tec	bronze
tombstone	Hu (Jar) (壺), 481–221 BCE. China, Eastern Zhou dynasty (770–256 BCE), Warring States period (475–221 BCE). Bronze; overall: 25.5 cm (10 1/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund, 1975.62
titleInOriginalLanguage	壺
collection	China - Zhou Dynasty
didYouKnow	On the vessel’s shoulders are applied <em>taotie</em> masks from which stem vertical loops for holding the vessel possibly with a rope.
citations	citation <em>The Chinese Exhibition; A Commemorative Catalogue of the International Exhibition of Chinese Art, Royal Academy of Arts, November 1935-March 1936</em>. London: Faber and Faber, 1936. page_number Mentioned: cat. no. 166 citation Sirén, Osvald. <em>A History of Early Chinese Art</em>. London: E. Benn, Limited, 1929. page_number Reproduced: pl. 101 citation Kümmel, Otto. <em>Chinesische Kunst; zweihundert Hauptwerke der Ausstellung der Gesellschaft für Ostasiatische Kunst in der Preussischen Akademie der Künste, Berlin, 1929, herausgegeben von Otto Kümmel</em>. Berlin: B. Cassirer, 1930. page_number Mentioned and Reproduced: p. 21 and pl. XXXI citation d'Ardenne de Tizac, H. <em>La sculpture chinoise</em>. Paris: G. Van Oest, 1931. page_number Reproduced: pl. XXXIII citation Umehara, Sueji 梅原末治. <em>ŌBei shūcho Shina kodō seika</em> [歐米蒐儲支那古銅精華 = Selected relics of ancient Chinese bronzes from collections in Europe and America]. Ōsaka: Yamanaka Shōkai, 1933. page_number Reproduced: vol. III, pl. 212 citation Salles, Georges, and Madeleine David. <em>Bronzes chinois des dynasties Tcheou, Tsʻin & Han</em>. Paris, France: Musée de l'Orangerie, 1934. page_number cat. no. 397 citation Vignier, Charles. Notes inédites, "l'Exposition de Bronzes Chinois," Paris, Musée de l'Orangerie, 1934. <em>Revue des arts asiatiques</em> vol. VIII, no. III. page_number Reproduced: pl. XLII citation Umehara, Sueji 梅原末治. <em>Sengoku shiki dôki no kenkyu</em> [戰國式銅器の研究 = Étude des bronzes des royaumes combattants]. Kyôto: Tôhô bunka gakuin Kyôto kenkyûjo, 1936. page_number Reproduced: Pls. 92 and 94 citation Karlgren, Bernhard. "New Studies on Chinese Bronzes." <em>Bulletin</em>, vol. 9 Stockholm, 1937. page_number Reproduced: pl. LIX, 2 and LX, 2 citation Rong, Geng 容庚 [Jung Keng]. <em>Shang Zhou yi qi tong kao </em>[商周彝器通考 = The Bronzes of Shang and Chou]. [Beiping]: Hafo Yanjing xue she, 1941. page_number Reproduced: Pl. 400 citation Sirén, Osvald. <em>Kinas konst under tre årtusenden</em>. Stockholm: Natur och kultur, 1942. page_number Reproduced: pl. 48-C citation Visser, H. F. E. <em>Asiatic Art in Private Collections of Holland and Belgium</em>. Amsterdam: "De Spieghel" Pub. Co, 1948. page_number Reproduced: pl. 27, no. 29 citation Weber, Charles D. “Chinese Pictorial Bronze Vessels of the Late Chou Period. Part III.” <em>Artibus Asiae</em> 29, no. 2/3 (1967): 115–192. page_number Reproduced: url https://www.jstor.org/stable/3250272 citation Lee, Sherman E. “The Year in Review for 1975.” <em>The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art</em> 63, no. 2 (February 1976): 31–71. page_number Mentioned: no. 177, pp. 33, 71; Reproduced: no. 177, p. 55 url https://www.jstor.org/stable/25152624 citation The Cleveland Museum of Art. <em>Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978</em>. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978. page_number Reproduced: p. 326 url https://archive.org/details/CMAHandbook1978/page/n346 citation The Cleveland Museum of Art. <em>Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art</em>. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1991. page_number Reproduced: p. 9 url https://archive.org/details/CMAHandbook1991/page/n24 citation Eskenazi, Giuseppe, and Hajni Elias. <em>A Dealer's Hand: The Chinese Art World Through the Eyes of Giuseppe Eskenazi</em>. London, England: Scala, 2012. page_number Mentioned: p. 32; Reproduced: p. 33
url	https://clevelandart.org/art/1975.62
creditline	Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
updatedAt	2026-05-29 07:37:36.756000
imageUrl	https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1975.62/1975.62_print.jpg
sourceId	148339
dept	Chinese Art
coll	China - Zhou Dynasty
med	bronze

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