Jue wine cup / Artist Unknown, China
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About this Item
Record Details
- Accession Number
- 1974/1.170
- Title
- Jue wine cup
- Artist
- Artist Unknown, China
- Medium and Support
- cast bronze with green patina
- Object Creation Date
- circa 1300 BCE - circa 1100 BCE
- Object Creation Place
- Asia (continent)
- China (nation)
- Henan (province)
- Creation Place 1
- Asia (continent)
- Creation Place 2
- China (nation)
- Creation Place 3
- Henan (province)
- Credit Line
- The Oliver J. Todd Memorial Collection
- Inscription
- Inscription under handle cast in intaglio, probably a clan sign.
- Dimensions
- 19 cm x 16 cm x 9 cm (7 1/2 in. x 6 5/16 in. x 3 9/16 in.)
- Century
- 13th century
- Primary Object Classification
- Metalwork
- Primary Object Type
- cup
- Secondary Object Classification
- Metalwork
- Secondary Object Type
- vessel
- Physical Description
- Bronze oval cup with a rounded base supported on three slender legs of triangular cross section; each leg tapers to a point. The vessel has one loop handle attached to the side, a long pouring spout with a U-shaped channel on one side balanced by a pointed tail on the other, and a pair of capped finials rise from the rim. The piece has a rich green patina and minimal surface decoration.
- Subject Matter
- The “jue” cup was the main drinking utensil during the Bronze Age. It is found in a tomb paired with the “gu” wine container. The earliest known “jue” were cast from multipart piece molds. The form of the vessel is complex, and the lack of symmetry is relatively unusual among ritual bronzes. Unlike other tripod food and wine vessels, the three legs of the “jue” are not evenly spaced around the bottom, instead, the two legs opposite the handle are a little closer together and a little more vertical. To balance the handle visually as well as to support its weight the leg under it is slightly longer and sticks out at more of an angle. How this type of cup was used and the function of the two knobs on the rim is still not clear. The long spout is impractical for drinking.
- Secondary Keywords
- containers
- containers by form
- containers by function or context
- containers for serving and consuming food
- copper alloy
- copper and copper alloy
- culinary containers
- descriptors
- drinking vessels
- inorganic material
- materials
- materials by composition
- metal
- metal and metal products
- metal by composition or origin
- nonferrous metal
- objects we use
- people and culture
- styles and periods
- styles and periods by general era
- three-age system
- vessels for serving and consuming food
- Rights
- If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit https://umma.umich.edu/about/services/request-image/ for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Technical Details
- Collection
- University of Michigan Museum of Art
- Image Size
- 949 x 807
- File Size
- 53 KB
- Record
- 1974/1.170
- Link to this Item
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1974-sl-1.170/1974_1.170.jpg
Rights and Permissions
Related Links
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IIIF
- Manifest
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:1974-SL-1.170:1974_1.170.JPG
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- Full citation
-
"Jue wine cup; Artist Unknown, China." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1974-sl-1.170/1974_1.170.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed March 29, 2024.