I am a senior undergraduate in the Kress Foundation Department of Art History at the University of Kansas. During the fall 2012 semester, I will be participating in a class project to update pages associated with Chinese bronze ritual vessels. I will be working with two classmates, Ychanooo and Sm3438, to expand the page for hu (壺) vessels. My research will focus on the function and use of hu vessels as well as the decor.

Preliminary Work

I have been studying the function, use, and décor of hu vessels. So far, I have concentrated on journal articles and other online resources. Most of what I have found conforms to what we have been learning in class. I am particularly interested in the way the décor changes over time and have been looking for information regarding the different periods. For the final entry, I plan to have décor example from each of the main periods we have studied as well as more specific information regarding the use of the vessel. Though, that may not be that available. I have some references listed that I have not written about yet. They are there so you can see the journals I have been using.

Function and Use

Most Chinese bronze vessels fall into two categories, food vessels or wine vessels. Hu vessels were used for wine and were an important part of cultural rituals. The hu is a pear shaped vessel that has been found in both a round and square form.^[1]

Decor

One example from this time shows the entire vessel covered with images that correspond with everyday life. Silk worm farming, hunting, archery, and warfare are all represented.^[2] Interlacing dragon motifs were popular during the Chou period. ^[3]

Citations

^ Encyclopædia Britannica Online, s. v. "hu", accessed October 30, 2012
^ Encyclopædia Britannica Online, s. v. "hu", accessed November 10, 2012
^ Rawson, Jessica. “Two Chinese Bronze Ritual Vessels (British Museum)” pp. 870

References

Encyclopædia Britannica Online, s. v. "hu", accessed October 30, 2012, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/274091/hu.

Rawson, Jessica. “Two Chinese Bronze Ritual Vessels (British Museum)” The Burlington Magazine , Vol. 114, No. 837 (Dec., 1972), pp. 870+872-873

Herold, Robert J. "A Family of Post-Han Ritual Bronze Vessels" Artibus Asiae , Vol. 37, No. 4 (1975), pp. 259-279

Unknown, "A Masterpiece in Bronze" Bulletin of the City Art Museum of St. Louis , Vol. 26, No. 2 (APRIL, 1941), pp. 42-45

Weber, Charles D. "Chinese Pictorial Bronze Vessels of the Late Chou Period. Part IV" Artibus Asiae , Vol. 30, No. 2/3 (1968), pp. 145-213+215-236

[1] Encyclopædia Britannica Online, s. v. "hu", accessed October 30, 2012

[2] Encyclopædia Britannica Online, s. v. "hu", accessed November 10, 2012

[3] Rawson, Jessica. “Two Chinese Bronze Ritual Vessels (British Museum)” pp. 870

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