Jia (vessel)

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Three examples of the Jia vessel form from the 14th century BCE Three Jia.jpg
Three examples of the Jia vessel form from the 14th century BCE
Jia
Chinese
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin jiǎ
Wade–Giles chia3
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese kˠaX
Old Chinese
Zhengzhang *kraːʔ

Neolithic period to Erlitou cultural period

Pottery Jia

  • Period: late Neolithic period, early Erlitou cultural period
  • Date: c. 2000–1600 BCE
  • Description: From Erlitou, Henan Province

Bronze Jia

H. 31 cm

  • Period: early Shang dynasty, Erlitou cultural period
  • Date: c. 1600–1400 BCE
  • Description: From Yanshi, Henan Province

Early to middle Shang dynasty

Bronze Jia

H. 21.9 cm x W. 14.5 cm x D. 16.0 cm

  • Period: early Shang dynasty
  • Date: c. 1400-1300 BCE
  • Description: The décor of this jia is within a single narrow register around the waist of the vessel. The style of decoration has been developed beyond the thread-relief on the preceding examples, and the taotie formed by two kui dragons is now franked in raised ribbon-like bands. This style loses the delicacy of thread relief but represents the Shang progression toward the distinction of figure and ground. [16]

Bronze Jia

H. 33 cm x W. 20.3 cm x D. 19.1 cm

  • Period: middle Shang dynasty
  • Date: c. 1500-1250 BCE
  • Description: This is a beaker-shaped container with three hollow, pointed legs. It has a plain bow handle and two capped uprights. This jia is one of the most elegant of the middle Shang period. The decoration, mainly in thread relief, consists of two bands both framed by small continuous circles – typical for the period. The lower band is divided into six panels by thick and shallow ridges. Every other ridge forms the central part of a taotie face with two bulging eyes. This mask is formed by the dissolved bodies of two confronted dragons in profile. The upper band above the constricted waist is a smaller, narrower and eye-less version of the same theme. The short uprights spring upwards from the rim of the flowing mouth. Set at right angles with the handle, they occupy the segment of the rim the farther away from this handle, which is another characteristic of the middle Shang style. The nipple-like caps arc incised with whorl-circles, the only dynamic elements in an otherwise frontal and static decoration. [17]

Late Shang dynasty: Anyang phase

Bronze Jia

H. 29.3 cm

  • Period: late Shang dynasty
  • Date: c. 1600–1046 BCE
  • Description: found in a Yin tomb at Dasikongcun, Anyang

Bronze Fangjia

H. 67 cm

  • Period: late Shang dynasty
  • Date: c. 1600–1046 BCE
  • Description: Weighing 42.25 lb (18.45 kg), [18] this is part of three large fangjia found in Fu Hao's tomb. The three jia bear the names of other lineages. It may be included in the gift set of jue and gu from the Si Tu Mu, Ya Qi, and Shu Quan lineages. The formal innovations of this vessel embody a body and tall neck in square-section with relief decoration and relatively thick flanges. [19]

Bronze Hou Mu Jia addressed to the queen (Hou) mother (Mu)

H. 66.5 cm

  • Period: late Shang dynasty
  • Date: c. 1600–1046 BCE
  • Description: Found in the tomb of Fu Hao in Yinxu, Henan province, this jia weighs 20.5 kg. The uprising handle is in the shape of umbrellas. The body is divided into two parts with a bigger lower part. The bottom is flat. The handle on the side bears the design of an animal head. The legs, measuring 28 cm, are in three-edged awl shape. Twelve triangular patterns are around the mouth rim, which measures 30.7 cm. Whirling circles are on top of the uprising handles. Three taotie masks are on each section of the body. On the upper section, are inward curling patterns while on the lower section are outward curls. On the side of one of the taotie masks are two kui dragons. Kui dragons and banana leaf patterns are on the legs.

Bronze Jia

H. 29.5 cm

  • Period: late Shang dynasty: early Anyang phase
  • Date: c. 1200–1100 BCE
  • Description: This jia has three blade-form legs. The low reliefs are conformed in a wide band with three taotie masks positioned between the supports. They have rounded eyes and a slender dividing flange. Beneath is a narrow band of stylized dragons. It has a pair of rectangular handles with large conical caps cast with comma motifs.

Bronze Yayi Jia

H. 75.3 cm x W. 38.1 cm x D. 31.8 cm

  • Period: late Shang dynasty: Anyang period
  • Date: c. 1300–1050 BCE
  • Description: Most jia vessels were used for pouring wine. This vessel is too tall and heavy, and its center of gravity is too high. Maybe it was more for display than for actual use. The decoration consists of taotie masks and small kui dragons against a spiral background of thunder patterns (leiwen). The handle bears a horned beast with a bird in its mouth. This peculiar combination appears often on handles. This vessel was found near the late Shang capital at Anyang in Henan province. It is similar in size and decoration to a group of objects from the tomb of Fu Hao. The inscription cast in the bottom of the vessel represents a man with a cross-shaped symbol on top of his head. Now read "Yayi," this symbol appears in many late Shang bronzes and is probably a clan sign. [20]

Bronze-lidded fangjia

H. 40.6 cm x W. 25.1 cm

  • Period: late Shang dynasty: Anyang phase
  • Date: c. 1200-1050 BCE
  • Description: Boxy geometric shapes and compartmented designs reveal the continued use of fitted clay mold sections. New shapes emerged, like the wine container resembling addorsed owls. [21]

Bronze Jia

H. 46.5 cm

  • Period: Shang dynasty
  • Description: This is a round-sectioned vessel from Bennanxian, Anhui province. Anhui province during the Shang dynasty was not part of the central plain area, and was considered to be a provincial region. This drinking vessel is very much like those in the metropolitan area, which shows a close connection and communication. The mouth measures 22.2 cm.

Western Zhou dynasty

Bronze Jia

H. 28.2 cm

  • Period: late Shang dynasty or early Western Zhou dynasty
  • Date: c. 1000-900 BCE
  • Description: The body is heavily cast. It has three equal lobes on top of slim columnar legs. It is bordered with double bow-string bands. It has a three-character inscription in a rectangular panel cast on the body behind the handle. [22]

Bronze Jia

H. 32.4 cm x W. 26.7 cm

  • Period: Western Zhou dynasty
  • Date: c. 1046–771 BCE
  • Description: Part of the altar set at Metropolitan Museum of Art. This set was excavated in 1901 and later collected by Duanfang, a senior Manchu official. Eleven vessels are inscribed. The set was created around the time that Zhou conquered Shang, and clearly by different foundries; the set may represent the accumulated wealth of a family shrine. [23]

Later period

Nephrite Jia

H. 25.4 cm x W. 4.0 cm x D. 15.2 cm

  • Period: Later Qing dynasty, Republic period
  • Date: c. 1900–1949
  • Description: Making copies of old vessels in other materials became a trend in the early part of the twentieth century due to increasing amount of archaeological activity. Jade jia vessels were especially popular. This motif consists of abstracted dragons based on Western Zhou models. The thinly cut jade is caused by the influx of Mughal styles during Qianlong reign. [24]

Historical and cultural references

During the Ming and Qing periods, jia gradually became tea drinking vessels, as recorded in Dream of the Red Chamber.

Jade jia are frequently mentioned in poems and other literary works:

Notes

  1. jia. (2009). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved August 13, 2009, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online.
  2. [Kuwayama 1976, p. 7]
  3. [Delbanco 1983, pp. 16]
  4. [Li 1980, p. 9]
  5. [Delbanco 1983, pp. 15]
  6. Thorp, Robert L. (June 1985). "The Growth of Early Shang Civilization: New Data From Ritual Vessels". Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies. 45 (1). Harvard-Yenching Institute: 5–75. doi:10.2307/2718958. JSTOR   2718958.
  7. Sullivan, Michael (1984). The Arts of China, The University of California Press, California ... (1. ed.). California: The University of California Press. ISBN   0-520-04917-9.
  8. 1 2 3 Wen Fong; Robert Bagley; Jenny So; Maxwell Hearn (1980). The Great Bronze Age of China . New York City: Metropolitan Museum of Art. ISBN   978-0-87099-226-1.
  9. [Li 1980, p. 14]
  10. Asian Art Museum Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture (2017). "Ritual wine vessel (Yayi jia)". Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. Retrieved 2022-07-27.
  11. [Loehr 1968, p. 44]
  12. 1 2 3 4 Kelleher, Bradford D. (1980). Treasures from the Bronze Age of China: an exhibition from the People's Republic of China, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (1. ed.). New York: Ballantine Books. ISBN   0-87099-230-9.
  13. Allen, Sarah (May 2007). "Erlitou and the Formation of Chinese Civilization: Toward a New Paradigm". The Association for Asian Studies. The Journal of Asian Studies. 66 (2): 461–496. doi:10.1017/s002191180700054x. JSTOR   20203165. S2CID   162264919.
  14. [Rawson 1999, pp. 433-435]
  15. [Rawson 1999, pp. 438]
  16. Delbanco, Dawn Ho (1983). Art from ritual: ancient Chinese bronze vessels from the Arthur M. Sackler collections. Cambridge, Mass.: Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University. ISBN   0-916724-54-9.
  17. "Ritual Wine Vessel Jia". Asian Art of Museum of San Francisco.
  18. "Bronze Fangjia". China National Museum.
  19. Yang, Xiaoneng (1999). The Golden Age of Chinese Archaeology: Celebrated Discoveries from the People's Republic of China. Washington D.C.: National Gallery of art. p. 172.
  20. "Yayi Jia". Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.
  21. "Square lidded ritual wine warmer (fangjia) with taotie and dragons". Freer and Sackler Galleries.
  22. "A Large Bronze Tripod Ritual Wine Vessel, Jia". Christie's.
  23. "Ritual Wine Container (Jia)". Metropolitan Museum of Art.
  24. "Nephrite Jia". Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.
  25. Tsao Hsueh-chin; Gao E (1989) [1791]. 紅樓夢[Dream of the Red Chamber]. Translated by Chi-Chen Wang. Preface by Mark Van (Abridged Anchor Books ed.). New York: Anchor Books. ISBN   0-385-09379-9.
  26. Li Rongyao; He Donghu; Huang Weiwei (1991). The peach blossom fan and other Qing Dynasty stories. Kwan Shan Mei, illustration. Singapore: Federal Publications. ISBN   981-01-2053-2.
  27. Zhou Baozhu (周寶珠) (2007). Chen Zhen (陳振) (ed.). 中國歷史 (八) 宋史[History of China (8) History of the Song Dynasty]. Beijing: 人民出版社. ISBN   978-7-01-004702-7.

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References

Further reading