Guang (vessel)

Late Shang Dynasty guang, Shanghai Museum

A guang (Chinese: 觥; pinyin: gōng; Wade–Giles: kung¹) is an ancient Chinese ritual wine pitcher, made of bronze. They were used during the Shang and Zhou dynasties, from around 1700 to 900 BCE. Guangs have a vertical handle at one end and a spout at the other, both zoomorphic, and were often highly decorated with taotie. The handle of the guang is of often in the shape of the neck and head of an animal with stylized horns, and the spout of the vessel is in the form of the head of a creature whose mouth constitutes the end of the spout.

References

• Encyclopaedia Britannica
• Timeline of Art History
• Sing, Yu (1999). Ringing Thunder- Tomb Treasures from Ancient China. San Diego: San Diego Museum of Art. ISBN 0937108243. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)