Vase à décor spiralé

Anonyme, Anonyme

The Henri Cernuschi bequest (1896) includes this enigmatic bronze vase (MC 621). It drew the attention of Henri d'Ardenne de Tizac, who published a picture of it in 1926. Its round belly features four very large spirals, perhaps of symmetrical plant inspiration. Numerous small vases of the same type, but in ceramic, have been prized by collectors. Some have long been part of Western collections, such as the British Museum, the Honolulu Museum of Art and several private holdings. These pieces are often in a fine glossy black, while others are in various hues from pale beige – as here – to matt grey. Similar works have been found in western Sichuan, in Lixian and in the villages of Bieli and Lesli (Maowen county, upper Minjiang). Placed next to the deceased in cist tombs, and no doubt made by non-Han populations, they date from the Warring States, Qin and Han periods.