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China

Grain Vessel (Gui)

Late Shang/early Western Zhou dynasty, 11th century B.C.
Bronze
17.5 × 23 cm (6.9 × 9.1 in)

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● On view now — Gallery 131

Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · verified July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

A monster mask ( taotie ) spreads boldly across this vessel, conforming to its bulging contour. While showing some stylistic features of slightly earlier manufacture, this vessel's heavy handles and the spiny dragons beneath the mouth rim are characteristic of bronzes of the early Western Zhou dynasty (c. 1050-771 B.C.). The cruciform emblem enclosing the top character of the inscription is read ya . This emblem is thought to bear some relation to family names, although its exact meaning remains problematic.

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