Gong wine vessel

This vessel is a remarkable example of its type, and of perfect workmanship. The body is divided into three horizontal belts by narrow, bare interstices uninterrupted by the scored flanges which, with the handle of the vessel, delimit four panels. The plain handle has an animal's head with zigzag lines across the nose and C-shaped horns with parallel lines in thin, thread relief. The lid is partly shaped as a plastic animal. The head, with the forehead lozenge and bottle horns of a t'ao-t'ieh, has other, more realistic details well-modelled ears and a mouth with saw-like teeth. The body is that of a long-drawn-out dragon in low relief reclining along the center of the lid. The central flange, curving with the body in the looped tail, has straight and T-shaped scores. A t'ao-t'ieh and various types of dragons figure in a decor scheme that covers almost the entire body of the vessel. The bodied t'ao-t'ieh with S-shaped horns in the middle belt is flanked by strongly stylized head turning dragons. Also strongly stylized are the dragons in the foot belt, which are similar to those on vessels 50.46.43, Karlgren #11, and 50.46.89, Karlgren #21. The consecutive dragons in the neck belt are not identical. To the right is an ordinary beaked dragon with recumbent C-shaped horn and a small vertical crest. The dragon under the spout of the vessel has no crest. Its horn is heart-shaped, and it has the drawn-out, pointed eye of the t'ao-t'ieh below. Its enormous beak is drawn out to parallel the curve in the rim. Inside the curve of the beak is a small, head turning dragon. The big dragon on the lid has spirals at the base of the horns and a single scale between parallel zigzag lines that flank the central flange, forming the common lozenge pattern. The legs, in flat relief, flank the big dragon, thier tails meeting at the end of the lid. Patina light blue-green.