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China

Tubular Fitting

Eastern Zhou dynasty, Warring States period (480–221 B.C.), 4th/3rd century B.C.
Bronze inlaid with gold and silver
14.4 × 3.6 cm (5.7 × 1.4 in)

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Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · verified July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

Sumptuously inlaid bronze tubes were designed as fittings for weapons, scepters, and chariots. This hexagonal fitting was probably a ferrule ( dun ), used to cap the lower end of a wood shaft for a bronze halberd. In its remarkable fluency, the inlaid design of volutes and spirals was largely inspired by contemporary lacquer painting.

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