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Altar vase

1494
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 216
On loan to The Met
This work of art is currently on loan to the museum.
This is one of very few dated bronze altar vases to survive from the Ming dynasty. The mark on its base indicates that it was cast in the autumn of the seventh year of the Hongzhi period (1488–1505). The vessel’s form was loosely derived from ancient bronze wine containers (hu), and its elongated and unadorned body became the new standard for bronze altar vases. The meticulous and powerful representation of dragon heads makes it an outstanding example of this vessel type.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 明弘治 銅獸耳瓶
  • Title: Altar vase
  • Period: Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
  • Date: 1494
  • Culture: China
  • Medium: Copper alloy
  • Dimensions: H. 22 in. (55.9 cm); W. 14 in. (35.6 cm)
  • Classification: Metalwork
  • Credit Line: Lent by Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Robert E. Kresko
  • Rights and Reproduction: Photograph courtesy of Saint Louis Art Museum
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art