Ritual Vessel in the Shape of a Rhinoceros

Ritual vessel in the shape of a rhinoceros

Probably 1100–1050 BCE
China; unearthed in Shouzhang, Shandong province 
Shang dynasty (approx. 1600–1050 BCE)
Bronze
The Avery Brundage Collection, B60B1+

The most famous object in the Asian Art Museum’s collection and among the most celebrated ancient Chinese bronzes in the world, this is the only bronze work in the form of a rhinoceros known to have been made during the Shang dynasty (approx. 1600–1050 BCE). A rare inscription records a military campaign and the date this vessel was made. The astounding naturalism of the work — the folds of the rhino’s thick skin evoke a real rhino hide; the ears stand up and extend outward, indicating a state of alertness; and the drooping belly gives a sense of the weight of the animal — suggests that the artist had seen a real rhinoceros, a species now extinct in China.