Minneapolis Institute of Art

Jian water basin

China

Date

500–400 BCE

Medium

Bronze

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

This jian is decorated with animal-head ring handles and a dense serpentine pattern separated by a frieze of braided ropes. Intertwined dragons wriggle within these bands. The vessel bears an inscription on the interior wall, which reads: The jian for amusement of the son of Lord Zhi. Zhi was a ruling family of the Jin state, and Zhi Yao, the last member of its lineage, was killed in 453 bce. The decorative style, together with the inscription, identify the vessel as cast at the foundry of the Jin state. China, Asia

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