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Standard Measure (Dou)

Xin Dynasty (9–23 CE)
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
Wang Mang (ca. 45 B.C.– A.D. 23), a usurper of the Han throne, established the short-lived Xin dynasty in A.D. 9. The present vessel is one of the few surviving examples illustrating his standardization of measurements. Most striking are the reliefs of five auspicious crops on its sides, identified by inscriptions. The patterns are too fine to have been cast or engraved and are thought to have been painted with lacquer or made by way of chemical treatment. These sacred omens were widely used in Han visual art and reflect the ideology of the period.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 新莽 青铜“始建国”律量斗
  • Title: Standard Measure (Dou)
  • Period: Xin Dynasty (9–23 CE)
  • Culture: China
  • Medium: Bronze
  • Dimensions: H. 4 5/16 in. (11 cm); W. 5 13/16in. (14.8 cm); L. 9 7/16 in. (23.9 cm)
  • Classification: Metalwork
  • Credit Line: Lent by National Museum of China
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art