**Originally Listed At $600**

East Asia, China, Han Dynasty, ca. 206 BCE to 220 CE. A gorgeous pottery "hu" vase, boasting an elegant silhouette and a light celadon-hued glaze with scattered areas of shimmering, silver iridescence. Several relief horizontal bands adorn the body and neck of the vessel, nicely complementing its elegant form, while a pair of Taotie maskette with pseudo ring handles flank the broad hip. These stylized animals represent a type of dragon from Chinese mythology. Their abstracted visages reflect the influence of previous eras such as those of the Zhou Dynasty. Size: 9.5" Diameter x 17.3" H (24.1 cm x 43.9 cm)

Only a wealthy merchant or member of court could afford the luxury of such a fine vessel. This piece was ultimately placed in a tomb as a symbol for the bountiful pleasures of life, drinking and feasting, to be experienced in the afterlife. The taotie is one of the "four fiends" or "four evil creatures" of Chinese mythology, and it is a particularly fascinating and ancient symbol seen on ancient bronzes. In the Lushi Chunqiu, known in English as Master Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals, a Chinese encyclopedia compiled around 239 BCE, the taotie is described thusly: "The taotie on Zhou bronzes has a head but no body. When it eats people, it does not swallow them, but harms them" (16/3a Prophecy). This and other ancient descriptions of the creature suggest that it related to making food offerings/sacrifices for the insatiable spirits of the dead. Some scholars believe that the creature is part of the mysterious communication between people and the gods.

Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection, acquired by the 1990s; ex-Pollock collection; ex-Christie's New York

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#183987

Small chip to bottom of one embossed handle, and light surface with minor abrasions and chipping to glaze as shown. Otherwise, intact and excellent with nice iridescence to glaze. Modern felt pads to underside of base for protection. Old Christie's label on interior of rim.