商 青銅爵|Wine warmer (Jue)
Unknown Artist
ca. 16th century BCE
Medium
Bronze
Dimensions
H. 5 3/4 in. (14.6 cm); W. with spout 6 1/8 in. (15.6 cm); D. with handle 2 3/4 in. (7 cm)
Classification
Metalwork
Culture & Period
China · Shang dynasty (ca. 1600–1046 B.C.)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Bequest of Dorothy Graham Bennett, 2003
Accession Number
2003.432
Art Historical Context
This elegant bronze *jue*, or wine warmer, hails from China's Shang dynasty (ca. 1600–1046 B.C.), a formative era of early Bronze Age innovation around the 16th century BCE Standing just 5 3/4 inches tall a spout width of 6 1/8 inches, this compact metalwork vessel exemplifies the Shang elite's mastery of bronze casting. Produced using the sophisticated piece-mold technique—where clay molds were pieced together and fired—this method allowed for intricate designs and mass production of ritual objects, marking a pinnacle of ancient Chinese metallurgy. Ritual bronzes like this *jue* held profoun...