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Please note that there are planned road works taking place on Compton Hill this week.

We are still open during this time and advise approaching from Kineton. The road closure comes after our entrance.

More information on the road closure and suggested diversion can be found here

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

chinese Collection

Ritual wine vessel and cover, gong

Artist: Unknown
On display
Ritual wine vessel and cover, gong View 1 images
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This form of wine vessel only existed from the Anyang period of the Shang dynasty to the middle Western Zhou dynasty. The shape of the vessel helped to pour the wine and the cover sealed-in warmth and kept out contaminants. These vessels are called zoomorphic (shaped as an animal), and usually had the head of a tiger or a dragon forming the front of the cover. The cover on this bronze has the head of a bottle-horn dragon with sharp serrated teeth, the body ending in a coiled tail.

Details

Artist
Unknown
Title
Ritual wine vessel and cover, gong
Date
Shang dynasty (about 1500-1050 BC), about 1100-1200 BC
Medium
Bronze
Dimensions
L: 20.3 cm.
Reference
CVCSC 0324.1-2.A
Collection
Chinese Bronzes
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