Square vase with archaic-style motifs (fangzun)
This vase exhibits a monumentality that belies its small size. Its square shape—most such vessels are round—further adds to its assertive presence, as does its crisply cast bold decor. Combining the decorative patterns of the Shang, Zhou, and Han periods (ca. 1600 BCE–220 CE), the vase conveys a hybrid style that distinguishes it as a “new antique” rather than either a faithful copy or a fake. Covered in a lustrous dark patina, its linear design allows it to hold flower branches, typical of those vases circulating in Japan since the fourteenth century.
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