LACQUERED VESSEL WITH ‘BRONZE’ PUSHOU

Description Piriform vessel on low cylindrical foot, with a broad belly that gradually narrows into a long, flared neck. The hem is reinforced by a smooth, dark bronze circular gasket. The convex lid fits with a protruding, flat fit into this metal fitting. The wood that makes up the lid and container is lightweight; the bottom is made of a separate wooden plate, slightly recessed from the foot ring. Two zoomorphic masks (pushou) are applied on the shoulder of the vase, they're bronze and symmetrically opposite. The inside of the vase is entirely lacquered in black, and the same opaque preparation also covers the external surface of the bottom. The entire visible surface of the object, including the lid, is instead covered with a thick, bright layer of brown lacquer. The decoration, which does not affect either the lid or the foot, is placed between two horizontal bands.