Follow the Coiling Dragon in this Water Pan
Bringing Ancient Mythology to Life
In Chinese, a ‘pan’ is a shallow water vessel often used for washing hands in a ritual setting. It would accompany another pouring vessel, or a ‘yi’. These sets of ritual objects were commonly used to perform food and wine offerings to the ancestors, especially in the Shang Dynasty.
Our pan today features coiling dragon pattern and originates from the late Shang. Standing at 16 cm high with a diameter of 43 cm, the belly depth measures 7.5 cm, while the height of the foot is 8 cm and the weight is 5 kg. Not familiar with SI units? Let’s just say it’s slightly larger than your regular lav sinks.
The surface of our basin in question is decorated with a coiled dragon, with its head in the form of an animal mask in the style of the late Shang dynasty protruding from the center. The rim of the basin features gui dragon, bird, and fish motifs. It is as if these creatures come together to embrace the dragon, giving it utmost importance.
A gui dragon, by the way, is a creature commonly seen in Chinese bronzeware decorations from the Shang dynasty, a popular motif on archaic wares. It is a one-legged beast with a turned-up snout, like a dragon but with a human face and the body of a dragon.
The coiled dragon’s eyes appear alive as the vessel is filled with water, almost coming to life and rise out of the water.
The solemn and elegant designs on the vessel are characteristic of the late Shang period. Traces of the casting process can be found on the inner side of the ring foot, where six strengthening supports reinforce the attachment of the ring foot to the bottom of the vessel. In addition, three square notches can be seen on the ring foot, aligned with the mold lines.
In 1998, Christie’s in Hong Kong obtained a similar and comparable ‘pan’ container featuring a dragon that originated from the late Shang Dynasty. The container has low edges that are adorned with simplified dragon pairs with big eyes that face each other on narrow flanges. Below the flared foot is a line of taotie masks. The pattern features several creatures such as birds, serpents, fish, and a dragon, along with two small pictographic motifs that mirror each other. The well of the container is embellished with a band of alternating designs of dragons, fish, and birds, with malachite encrustation.
In conclusion, the ‘pan’ water vessel with coiling dragon pattern is a remarkable artifact from the late Shang Dynasty. Its exquisite design, casting process, and use of gui dragon motifs make it a valuable piece of Chinese bronzeware. Its ability to bring ancient mythology to life is mesmerizing and is sure to continue captivating visitors to the National Palace Museum in Taipei.
What do you think of this water pan? Have you seen similar mythological creature motifs in relics from other cultures? Let me know in your comments below.
Source: National Palace Museum