Introduction
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Food Vessel: Gui China, reportedly found in Shandong Province Eastern Zhou period (770-256 BCE), about 6th century BCE Bronze H. 12 3/4 in. (32.4 cm) including cover; W. 15 1/2 in. (39.4 cm) across handles Asia Society, New York: Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection, 1979.103a, b |
The careful observation and study of the form of an object can reveal a depth of information about its function and production.
Bronze vessels and figural representations related to ritual are among the earliest works discovered in both China and Japan. The unique forms and materials of these objects—from elaborate bronze vessels and tomb figurines to Japanese Buddhist painting and sculpture—offer clues to their ritual or religious functions.
More familiar to the majority of us are the shapes of objects for daily use. Whether they are exquisite metalwork pieces, durable ceramic vessels for drinking and eating, or objects made to hold flowers or texts, it is easy to imagine how many of the pieces would have been and used.
For thousands of years Chinese and Japanese artists have exploited a variety of materials to create beautiful forms for display in palaces and elegant homes. Artists and craftsmen used different colored slips (watery clay), underglaze cobalt blue and copper red, and overglaze enamels to create stunning ceramic pieces that were appreciated as sophisticated works of art. Both Chinese and Japanese painters and calligraphers, using traditional media such as paper, silk, ink, and paint created from minerals or vegetables, created subtle as well as bold paintings to decorate dwellings and to appreciate with friends.
