Gui (food vessel)
Dateearly to mid-11th century BCE
Label TextAncient Chinese metallurgists converted raw material into bronze objects with powerful zoomorphic (animal-like) designs that stood out against geometric patterns. The most notable design is the monster mask later known as a taotie: staring eyes, stylized horns, and fangs. Another common motif is the dragon, usually shown in profile with just one eye. This food vessel has both.
Object number56.34
Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, "Timeless Grandeur: Art from China"
April 25, 2002 - June 12, 2005
Seattle, Washington, Seattle Asian Art Museum, "Chinese Art: A Seattle Perspective", December 22, 2007 - July 26, 2009 (12/22/2007 - 7/26/2009)
Portland, Oregon, Portland Art Museum, "Gift to a City: Masterworks from the Eugene Fuller Memorial Collection in the Seattle Art Museum", cat. # 3
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. 3
Knight, Michael. "Early Chinese Metalwork in the Collection of the Seattle Art Museum." Seattle, WA: Seattle Art Museum, 1989, no. 8, pp. 13-15, ill. pp. 12, 15
Knight, Michael, "East Asian Lacquers in the Collection of the Seattle Art Museum." Seattle, WA: Seattle Art Museum, 1992, fig. 1, p. 6Credit LineMargaret E. Fuller Purchase Fund
Dimensions5 3/8 x 10 3/4 x 7 in. (13.65 x 27.31 x 17.8cm)
MediumCast bronze
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