Objects We Love: Lidded Ritual Ewer

Summary

In this engaging presentation, Keith Wilson, Curator of Ancient Chinese Art at the Freer and Sackler Galleries, introduces a fascinating 3,000-year-old bronze pouring vessel. Once used in ritual ceremonies, the object is adorned with intricate depictions of real and mythical creatures, creating a dream-like and eerie scene. Wilson highlights the vessel’s unusual design features, like bird claws and dragon wings, and invites viewers to explore a high-resolution 3D model of the artifact online. This captivating exploration of ancient art showcases the creativity and symbolism behind the vessel's design.

Takeaways

• 🎨 The object is a cast bronze pouring vessel, resembling a pitcher with a spout and handle.
• 📏 It's smaller than a loaf of bread and stands on four pointed feet, with a lid and intricate decorations.
• 🍶 The vessel was likely used to serve warm alcoholic beverages during ritual ceremonies, about 3,000 years ago.
• 🍚 The ancient drink was made from fermented grain, similar to modern-day sake.
• 🐉 The surface of the vessel is covered with a mix of real and imaginary animals, making it visually complex and peculiar.
• 🦅 The vessel's front is shaped like a bird, with a beak, wide eyes, clawed legs, and talons, but its wings are represented as coiled dragons.
• 🦎 Small four-legged lizards are depicted between the bird's eyes and beak, adding to the vessel's strange appearance.
• 🐏 The lid features a horned ram's head, but the body is replaced with other creatures like a dragon, tiger, fish, and elephant.
• 👹 Two humanoid figures on the vessel's rear feet are depicted with scaly arms and snake-like bodies, held in the jaws of a monster.
• 🌍 A 3D high-resolution model of the vessel is available on the Smithsonian's 3D platform, allowing users to explore its intricate design online.

Q & A

What is the object being described in the video?

The object is a cast bronze pouring vessel from the Freer collection, likely used to serve warm liquids such as alcohol over 3,000 years ago.

What was the vessel likely used for?

The vessel was probably used in important ritual ceremonies, specifically for serving alcohol during symbolic banquets offered to deceased ancestors.

What is notable about the vessel's size and structure?

The vessel is smaller than a loaf of bread and stands on four pointed feet. It also features a spout at the front and a handle at the back, with a lid on top.

What types of decorations cover the vessel?

The vessel is completely covered with depictions of real and imaginary animals. Some of the motifs are complete, while others are partial, creating a curious and sometimes frightening design.

Why does the curator find the object fascinating?

The curator finds the vessel strange and wondrous, noting the complexity of the decoration and how it evokes the feeling of a bad dream. The combination of the motifs is particularly peculiar and intriguing.

What modern technology was used to study the vessel in detail?

The Smithsonian’s Digitization Program Office created a high-resolution 3D model of the vessel, which allows for detailed exploration and study of its surface as though one were holding it.

What animal forms can be seen in the vessel’s design?

The front of the vessel suggests the form of a standing bird with a sharp beak, wide staring eyes, brows, and clawed legs. Its wings are depicted as coiled dragons, and four-legged lizards fill spaces around its head.

What other creatures are depicted on the vessel?

The lid features a ram’s head, but without a body. The space behind it includes a horned dragon, a tiger, a fish, and an elephant. Additionally, there are humanoid figures with snake-like bodies, held in the jaws of monsters.

What is the overall impression of the creatures depicted on the vessel?

The combination of real and imaginary creatures gives the impression of a spirit world in constant movement and flux. The design suggests a mysterious or otherworldly realm.

Where can viewers study the 3D model of the vessel?

The 3D model is available on the Smithsonian’s 3D platform at 3D.si.edu, where viewers can explore the object and access animated tours created by the curator.