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Chinese bronze pots in a glass display cabinet in a museum setting

chinese Collection

About the
Collection

Our Chinese Collection centres on magnificent bronze and ceramic ritual objects.

Produced over a period of over 1,500 years, under many different Chinese rulers, the bronzes date from the early Shang Dynasty (c.1500 to 1050 BCE) to the Tang Dynasty, (618 – 906 CE). This collection also houses The Taotie, a brand-new contemporary installation by artist Gayle Chong Kwan responding to our portrait miniature and Chinese collections.

The redisplay of this collection was made possible through grants from DCMS/Wolfson Museums & Galleries Improvement Fund and Arts Council England.

The work of Gayle Chong Kwan is the culmination of an 18-month residency at Compton Verney in partnership with the Decolonising Arts Institute projects ‘20/20’.

 

As in Ancient Egypt, Chinese citizens believed that the dead required food and wine to sustain them in the afterlife, and that this should be served in vessels appropriate to their status and wealth. Some of the most extraordinary bronzes ever cast were made for this purpose.

The collection also includes pottery pieces, such as a set of twelve painted pottery equestrian figures made for placing in a tomb to guard the deceased. The forms and motifs of the works in our collection continued to be seen in Chinese culture for many thousands of years and were repeated in many different materials.

Discover the full collection

 

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Download our gallery guide to find out more the Chinese Bronzes collection
and the artworks on display in our galleries

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64 items in the collection
Ritual wine vessel, hu

Ritual wine vessel, hu

Late Western Zhou dynasty, c.850-771 BC
Artist: Unknown
Ritual food vessel, gui

Ritual food vessel, gui

Late Shang dynasty (about 1700-1050 BC), about 1100 BC
Artist: Unknown
Ritual food vessel, ding

Ritual food vessel, ding

Late Shang dynasty (about 1500-1050 BC), about 1200 BC
Artist: Unknown
Ritual wine vessel and cover, you

Ritual wine vessel and cover, you

Artist: Unknown
Wine vessel, bianhu

Wine vessel, bianhu

Warring States period, c.400-200 BC
Artist: Unknown
Ritual ewer and cover, he

Ritual ewer and cover, he

Early Eastern Zhou dynasty (770-221 BC), between 800-700 BC
Artist: Unknown
Two Guardians

Two Guardians

Ming dynasty (AD 1368-1644), AD 1400-1500.
Artist: Unknown
Set of twelve painted equestrian figures

Set of twelve painted equestrian figures

Tang dynasty (AD 618-906), about AD 700-800
Artist: Unknown
Ritual food vessel, fu

Ritual food vessel, fu

Eastern Zhou dynasty, Spring and Autumn Period (770-475 BC), about 600-500 BC
Artist: Unknown
Tripod vessel, li

Tripod vessel, li

Neolithic (about 4500-2000 BC)
Artist: Unknown
Ritual food vessel, Teng Hu gui

Ritual food vessel, Teng Hu gui

Early Western Zhou dynasty, c.1050-950 BC
Artist: Unknown
Wine Vessel and cover

Wine Vessel and cover

Artist: Unknown
Cocoon-shaped vessel, hu

Cocoon-shaped vessel, hu

Western Han dynasty (202 BC- AD 9)
Artist: Unknown
Ritual food vessel, ding

Ritual food vessel, ding

Spring and Autumn period (770-475 BC)
Artist: Unknown
Cloisonne Enamel Tripod Censer

Cloisonne Enamel Tripod Censer

Artist: Unknown
Ritual wine vessel, hu

Ritual wine vessel, hu

Middle Western Zhou dynasty, c.950-850 BC
Artist: Unknown
Ritual wine vessel, zhi

Ritual wine vessel, zhi

Early Western Zhou dynasty (about 1050-771 BC)
Artist: Unknown
Ritual food vessel and cover, dou

Ritual food vessel and cover, dou

Eastern Zhou dynasty, Warring States period (475-221 BC): about 400-300 BC
Artist: Unknown
Vessel and cover, dou

Vessel and cover, dou

Eastern Zhou dynasty, (770-221 BC): Warring States Period (475-221 BC)
Artist: Unknown
Hill jar and cover

Hill jar and cover

Eastern Han dynasty, (AD 24-220)
Artist: Unknown
Ritual Wine Vessel and Cover you

Ritual Wine Vessel and Cover you

Artist: Unknown
Chariot fitting

Chariot fitting

Western Zhou dynasty (about 1050-771 BC)
Artist: Unknown
Ritual wine vessel and cover, gong

Ritual wine vessel and cover, gong

Shang dynasty (about 1500-1050 BC), about 1100-1200 BC
Artist: Unknown
Ritual vessel

Ritual vessel

Artist: Unknown
Ear Cup

Ear Cup

Han dynasty (206 BC-AD 220)
Artist: Unknown
Ritual covered wine vessel, fangyi

Ritual covered wine vessel, fangyi

Shang dynasty (about 1500-1050 BC), about 1300-1100 BC
Artist: Unknown
Large bell, nao

Large bell, nao

Late Shang or Early Western Zhou dynasty (about 1500-1050 BC or about 1050-771 BC), about 1100-1000 BC
Artist: Unknown
Ritual wine vessel in the shape of two owls, xiaoyou

Ritual wine vessel in the shape of two owls, xiaoyou

Shang dynasty (c.1500-1050 BC)
Artist: Unknown
Ritual wine vessel in the shape of a bird, lei

Ritual wine vessel in the shape of a bird, lei

Late Shang dynasty, c.1200-1100 BC
Artist: Unknown
Vessel and cover in the shape of a xu

Vessel and cover in the shape of a xu

Qing dynasty, Qianlong period (AD 1736-1796)
Artist: Unknown
Ritual wine vessel, you

Ritual wine vessel, you

Late Shang or early Western Zhou dynasty, c.1100-1000 BC
Artist: Unknown
Bird-shaped finial

Bird-shaped finial

Han dynasty (206 BC-AD 220)
Artist: Unknown
Heavenly Horse, tianma

Heavenly Horse, tianma

Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 220)
Artist: Unknown
Wine Vessel and cover, fangjia

Wine Vessel and cover, fangjia

Late Shang Dynasty (about 1550-1050 BC)
Artist: Unknown
Goldsheet-applied mirror

Goldsheet-applied mirror

Tang dynasty (AD 618-906)
Artist: Unknown
Mirror

Mirror

Western Han dynasty (206 BC-AD 24)
Artist: Unknown
Lobed mirror

Lobed mirror

Tang dynasty (AD 618-906)
Artist: Unknown
Lobed mirror

Lobed mirror

Song dynasty (AD 960-1279)
Artist: Unknown
Wine vessel, fou

Wine vessel, fou

Eastern Zhou dynasty, Spring and Autumn period (770-475 BC)
Artist: Unknown
Incense burner, boshanlu

Incense burner, boshanlu

Han dynasty (202 BC-AD 220)
Artist: Unknown
Phoenix mirror

Phoenix mirror

Tang dynasty (AD 618-906)
Artist: Unknown
Ritual wine vessel, hu

Ritual wine vessel, hu

Artist: Unknown
Silver and copper-inlaid bronze wine vessel, hu

Silver and copper-inlaid bronze wine vessel, hu

Eastern Zhou dynasty, Warring States period (475-221 BC)
Artist: Unknown
Silver and copper-inlaid bronze wine vessel, hu

Silver and copper-inlaid bronze wine vessel, hu

Eastern Zhou dynasty, Warring States period (475-221 BC)
Artist: Unknown
Two-sided chariot fitting

Two-sided chariot fitting

Late Shang or Early Western Zhou dynasty (about 1500- 1050 BC or about 1050-771 BC)
Artist: Unknown
Pair of chariot wheel linchpins

Pair of chariot wheel linchpins

Early Western Zhou dynasty (about 1050-771 BC)
Artist: Unknown
Dagger axe, ge

Dagger axe, ge

Western Zhou Dynasty (about 1050- about 771 BC)
Artist: Unknown
Bow-shaped object

Bow-shaped object

Late Shang or Early Western Zhou dynasty (about 1500- 1050 BC or about 1050-771 BC)
Artist: Unknown
Two pairs of harness cheek pieces

Two pairs of harness cheek pieces

Zhou dynasty (about 1100-256 BC)
Artist: Unknown
Five T mirror

Five T mirror

Eastern Zhou dynasty, Warring States Period (475-221 BC)
Artist: Unknown
Xingyun (star and cloud) mirror

Xingyun (star and cloud) mirror

Western Han dynasty (206 BC-AD 24)
Artist: Unknown
Immortal and beast mirror

Immortal and beast mirror

Eastern Han dynasty (AD 24-220)
Artist: Unknown
Animal and grapevine mirror

Animal and grapevine mirror

Tang dynasty (AD 618-906)
Artist: Unknown
Square flying deity and crane mirror

Square flying deity and crane mirror

Tang dynasty (AD 618-906)
Artist: Unknown
Bell, bo

Bell, bo

Eastern Zhou Dynasty. Spring and Autumn Period (770-475 BC), 400-450 BC.
Artist: Unknown
Ritual wine vessel, jia

Ritual wine vessel, jia

Shang dynasty (c.1500-1050 BC)
Artist: Unknown
Ritual food vessel, gui

Ritual food vessel, gui

Early Western Zhou dynasty (about 1050-771 BC)
Artist: Unknown
Ritual Wine Vessel and cover, you

Ritual Wine Vessel and cover, you

About 1050-771 BC
Artist: Unknown
Ritual wine vessel

Ritual wine vessel

770-475 BC
Artist: Unknown
Bell, zheng

Bell, zheng

770-221 BC
Artist: Unknown
Stem cup

Stem cup

AD 1368-1644
Artist: Unknown
Burner

Burner

Western Han dynasty (206 BC- AD 24)
Artist: Unknown
Archaic ritual basin, jian

Archaic ritual basin, jian

Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770-221 BC): Warring States Period (about 475-221 BC)
Artist: Unknown
Animal and grapevine mirror

Animal and grapevine mirror

Tang dynasty (AD 618-906)
Artist: Unknown