Tri-Sectioned Yu Flask and Its Clay Mold
The “Tri-Sectioned Yu Flask with a Swing Handle,” categorized as a national treasure, features a slender neck yu with an upside-down ku vessel covering its body. Clay molds for such tri-sectioned yu flask are excavated from the Hsiao-t’un temple-palace area: artifacts R016820 and R016823 are mold sections for the body; R016822 is a body-to-ring foot section; and R017491:1 with the pattern on the rim, thus probably is the neck mold of a ku vessel. Artifact R016925 is more likely the model of the body of yu. We suggest that different models were used to produce the outer molds of yu body and ku. The body of yu was first casted from which produced the mold sections of ku to create a near perfect fit.
- Period
- 殷商
- Excavated/Findspot
- 河南安陽殷墟
- Notes
- 1. Tri-Section Yu Flask, R001071, Tomb 1022, Hsi-pei-kang
2. Tri-Section Yu Flask Body Mold, R016820, Pit YH42, Hsiao-t’un
3. Tri-Section Yu Flask Body Mold, R016823, Pit YH42, Hsiao-t’un
4. Tri-Section Yu Flask Ring Foot Mold, R016822, Pit YH42, Hsiao-t’un
5. Tri-Section Yu Flask Neck Mold, R017491:1, Pit YH42, Hsiao-t’un
6. Yu Body Model, R016925, Pit YH93, Hsiao-t’un
