Cloud-patterned
lacquer clocks
Capacity :19.5 liters
Height: 57 cm
Material:wood
Historical Significance: It is a representative masterpiece of large-scale turned wood-core lacquerware from the early Western Han Dynasty. Its stable vessel shape and free-flowing decoration lines fully demonstrate the exceptional lacquer craftsmanship of the Han Dynasty. It also offers direct physical evidence of the ritual banqueting etiquette of Han Dynasty marquises, serving as a critical material for the study of Han Dynasty lacquer techniques and social life.
Content Scope:
The inside of the vessel is coated with red lacquer, while the exterior is finished with black lacquer. The neck is decorated with bird motifs, the rim and foot ring are painted with vermilion geometric zigzag patterns and dot patterns. Three layers of vermilion, grey-green cloud-and-steam patterns and geometric ornaments adorn the shoulder and belly of the vessel. The fully cloud-painted lid is fitted with three orange-yellow knobs. A vermilion Chinese character "Shi" (a Han Dynasty capacity unit equivalent to 120 Jin) is inscribed in the center of the outer bottom. Residue of ancient wine or thick soup was found preserved inside the artifact when it was excavated.
Excavation Dates
It was unearthed in 1972 from the Tomb of Xin Zhui (Mawangdui Tomb No.1, Western Han Dynasty) in Changsha