Detail View: National Palace English: Bronze Pan vessel with interlacing dragon motif

Work ID: 
M01B00048
Title: 
Bronze Pan vessel with interlacing dragon motif
Creation Date: 
Late Shang Dynasty
Start Year Date: 
B.C.1321
End Year Date: 
B.C.1045
Dynasty: 
05 Shang Dynasty (c. 1600 ~1100 B.C.)
Creation Place: 
China
Measurements: 
Height: 16.3 cm; Weight: 5235 cm
Material: 
Bronze
Form: 
Pan (large dish)
Type: 
Bronzes
Subject: 
Dragon
Repository: 
The National Palace Museum, Taipei
Description: 
This vessel has a shallow and round belly and sits on a tall ring foot. Below the ring foot is a protruding round pedestal. The vessel can be divided by six mold-join lines. The intersection between the foot and the belly is marked by three square openings that are lined up with the mold-join lines.Inside the belly are wonderfully eye-catching designs. The large dragon is the center, and the dragonhead is represented in multiple layers. Its facial features are clearly delineated with protruding eyes full of liveliness and energy. The eyebrows and horns above the eyes as well as the ears beside them are all in high relief. The dragon body curves and coils with the round pan; in between are gui dragon and two small fish, etc. On the vertical inner walls of the vessel are fish, gui dragons, and birds, all surrounding the central dragon. Aside from the main design, there are also thunder patterns that fill up the background. When the pan is filled with water, all the different creatures would be swimming in circular motion surrounding the rotating dragon.
ImageV ID: 
M01B00048AS002
Rights: 
Lee & Lee Communications