Label Type
Website MediumLabel
Jade (Nephrite)Label Type
Object LabelLabel
This elegant incense burner takes its form from Shang dynasty (circa 1600–1046 BCE) bronze rectangular food vessels known as fang ding. The “monster” (taotie) mask designs on the body, also based on earlier bronzes, show pairs of eyes, ears, horns, and a mouth bisected by a nose formed by a column of flanges. Stylized, open-mouthed dragons with curled tails make up the four feet. While the dragon is echoed on the lid, its more naturalistic depiction, together with the pierced lid’s flower-and-cloud shaped design, reflects more recent tastes of jade connoisseurs.