‘DOU’ BOTTLE WITH CURVED NECK

Description This is a rare variant of dou - a bottle, usually bronze, used to hold cereal wine, and presenting a long neck with an expanded belly. This specimen presents a long, curved neck, ending with a closed ''garlic head''. The opening of the bottle is located at the highest point of the neck: it consists of a short, raised rim, originally equipped with a lid. This idea was taken up by Han potters to make zoomorphic terracotta objects. The final part of the neck, from the opening to the “garlic head”, is made of solid metal and has three horizontal bands in relief. The belly is globular, and ends in a high flared ring foot. The bottom of the dou is flat.