Basin with turtles and fish

Unidentified

Not on view

The design of this vessel reflects the fourteenth-century antiquarian taste. This type of water basin can be traced back to the Shang dynasty (ca. 1600–1046 B.C.), but the vessel’s design is based on a woodblock illustration in the 12th-century Xuanhe Bogutu, a catalogue of Song-dynasty imperial collection. The design of turtles and fish allude to the legend of a turtle that emerged from the Luo River bearing a divine book on its carapace. The vessel most likely functioned as a decorative piece in a scholar’s study meant to demonstrate the owner’s appreciation for antiquity.

Basin with turtles and fish, Unidentified Artist, Chinese, 14th century, Bronze, China

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Basin with turtles and fish, Unidentified Artist, Chinese, 14th century, Bronze, China
Basin with turtles and fish, Unidentified Artist, Chinese, 14th century, Bronze, China
Basin with turtles and fish, Unidentified Artist, Chinese, 14th century, Bronze, China
Basin with turtles and fish, Unidentified Artist, Chinese, 14th century, Bronze, China
Basin with turtles and fish, Unidentified Artist, Chinese, 14th century, Bronze, China
Basin with turtles and fish, Unidentified Artist, Chinese, 14th century, Bronze, China
Basin with turtles and fish, Unidentified Artist, Chinese, 14th century, Bronze, China

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