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Ritual vessel (dou)

China

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 210

This pedestal bowl is the only surviving intact example of an imperial Song bronze dou. It is based on an archaic prototype used as an offering bowl for minced meat, vegetables, and sauce. The archaic-script inscription around its rim indicates that it was commissioned by Emperor Huizong in 1118 for the altar of the Great Lord of Eternal Life, of whom the emperor was thought to be an incarnation. This unique example demonstrates the emperor’s effort to apply the ritual tradition of ancient China to Daoist practice.

Ritual vessel (dou), Copper alloy, China

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Ritual vessel (dou), Copper alloy, China
Ritual vessel (dou), Copper alloy, China
Ritual vessel (dou), Copper alloy, China
Ritual vessel (dou), Copper alloy, China
Ritual vessel (dou), Copper alloy, China
Ritual vessel (dou), Copper alloy, China
Ritual vessel (dou), Copper alloy, China
Ritual vessel (dou), Copper alloy, China
Ritual vessel (dou), Copper alloy, China

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