Fang Ding (square food vessel)
Dateearly to mid-11th century BCE
Label TextThe words inside this vessel represent an early moment in the development of Chinese characters. The bottom character means “tent” and refers to the owner’s title: he was in charge of the palace guards. The top character is “Gui,” the name of his ancestor who receives sacrifice. Cast bronze inscriptions like the one—and the divination records that Shang kings had carved into bones—attest to a sophisticated use of written language.
Object number54.177
Photo CreditPhoto: Susan A. Cole
Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Timeless Grandeur: Art from China, Apr. 25, 2002 - June 12, 2005.
Tokyo, Japan, Suntory Museum of Art, Luminous Jewels: Masterpieces of Asian Art From the Seattle Art Museum, July 25 - Sept. 6, 2009 (Kobe, Japan, Kobe City Museum, Sept. 19 - Dec. 6, 2009; Kofu, Japan, Yamanashi Prefectural Museum of Art, Dec. 23, 2009 - Feb. 28, 2010; Atami, Japan, MOA Museum of Art, Mar. 13 - May 9, 2010; Fukuoka, Japan, Fukuoka Art Museum, May 23 - July 19, 2010).
Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Luminous: The Art of Asia, Oct. 13, 2011 - Jan. 8, 2012.
Seattle, Washington, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Boundless: Stories of Asian Art, Feb. 8, 2020 - ongoing.Published References"Gift to a City" exhibition catalogue. Portland, OR: Portland Art Museum, 1965, cat. no. 5
Knight, Michael. "Early Chinese Metalwork in the Collection of the Seattle Art Museum." Seattle, WA: Seattle Art Museum, 1989, no. 6, pp. 10-12
Kawai, Masatomo, Yasuhiro Nishioka, Yukiko Sirahara, editors, "Luminous Jewels: Masterpieces of Asian Art From the Seattle Art Museum", 2009, The Yomiuri Shimbun, catalogue number 61Credit LineMargaret E. Fuller Purchase Fund
Dimensions8 5/8 x 6 3/4 x 5 3/8 in. (21.9 x 17.2 x 13.7cm)
MediumCast bronze
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