GLAZED ‘DING’ TRIPOD

Description Many ritual vessels (ding) from the Han dynasty imitated the shape of the most valuable bronze specimens. This ding has a flattened, globular body with a rounded bottom, underlined at the top by a raised horizontal line. Above it there are two vertical handles, slightly curved outwards. The vessel rests on three feet shaped like paws, traversed vertically by arched lines printed in light relief. The convex lid was entirely decorated in a mold on three concentric registers containing fish, wavy designs, spirals and volutes (reminiscent of clouds and mountains) and doubled triangles.