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Lot Essay
Many Han dynasty inscriptions were engraved after the vessels had been cast and they normally provide a date, the name of the hall where the vessel was kept, or information about the capacity and/or weight of the vessel. Although the two inscriptions on the present vessel are rather illegible, some of the graphs indicate that they provide this kind of information.
Large bronze pear-shaped storage vessels with taotie mask and ring handles are a classic type often seen in Han dynasty burials, such as the example bearing similar inscriptions sold in these rooms 20 September 2002, lot 228, but no other example of this massive and unusual form has been previously recorded.
Large bronze pear-shaped storage vessels with taotie mask and ring handles are a classic type often seen in Han dynasty burials, such as the example bearing similar inscriptions sold in these rooms 20 September 2002, lot 228, but no other example of this massive and unusual form has been previously recorded.