1300-1200 BC. Shang dynasty. A beautiful bronze jia tripod vessel comprising a flaring rim, inward sloping neck, flaring shoulder and flat bottom supported by three wedge-shaped legs. A single strap handle is attached to one side of the vessel and two posts with conical casts rise from the rim, perhaps in imitation of mushrooms. A decorative frieze runs around the neck of the vessel, just above the shoulder, and depicts stylised taotie masks. The taotie are mythological creatures commonly appearing in ancient Chinese art, where they are commonly associated with the Four Evils of the World, a motif fitting for a vessel that would have been used for holding food on ritual or ceremonial occasions. Jia with this form and decoration are typical of the Anyang period (1300-1030 BC) and a comparable example can be seen in Shang Ritual Bronzes in the National Palace Museum Collection, Taipei, 1998, pp. 152-7, no. 9. A similar, less well-preserved object was recently sold at Christies for $137,500, see https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/lot/a-bronze-ritual-tripod-wine-vessel-jia-6276463-details.aspx?from=salesummery&intobjectid=6276463 Excellent condition; beautiful patina; expertly cleaned and conserved. The artefact is fully authenticated with XRF analysis by an independent Belgian laboratory. All samples correspond to the metal content of the period specified; no modern trace elements were detected in the patina.Size: L:250mm / W:220mm ; 1.5kg. Provenance: From an old Sumerset collection of Asian Art formed in the 1980s/1990s.