Copper animal-shaped zunvessel in cloisonne enamels, Qing dynasty, Qianlong reign (1736-1795)-China Archive

Image Number: C1E000236N000000000PAF
Dynasty: Qing dynasty
Category: Enamel wares
Function: drinking vessel
Material: Minerals/Metals/Copper
Description:
The copper body is similar to the bird and animal statue in the Shang and Zhou Dynasty bronzes, but its shape is different. In the Qing Dynasty, the animals that were worshipped were often like cattle or deer, so they were also called “Tianlu”. It looks like a cow, and its stripes look like deer. The embryo is exposed in the vessel. The head, tail, four legs of the cattle and the flame around the four limbs are gilded. The rest of the cattle are covered with light blue glaze. The cattle body is covered with large, small, single and double petal six petal flowers. The honoring vessel on the back of the cattle is decorated with twig flowers. The back spine, tail and the metalwork under the abdomen are exquisite, and the male reproductive organs are clearly visible. The ox’s lower jaw is engraved with “made in the year of Qianlong” in regular script from right to left. The objects are heavy and exquisite. They are similar to the sacrificial objects in the main hall of the imperial temple in the 13th year of Qianlong’s reign (1748) recorded in the “Imperial Ritual Ware Pattern”, but they are different in size. At that time, if they were not sacrificial objects, they would also be the display objects in important palaces. primary