Bronze Chinese Han Dynasty Wine Vessel

(circa 100 BC)

A bronze Han Dynasty Wine vessel made with simple curved line design typical of the period. The vessel has rings on two sides and to square top also with ring.

Details

Han dynasty bronzes are often cast very thin producing light weight designs. To assume thin but even wall thinness, small, round bronze spacers were placed in the moulds to adjust the space between inner and outer walls of the mould, as in the image below.

References

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bronze_wushu_coin_mould,_Han_Dynasty.JPG