The jue (tripod cup) carries gilt bronze, and bronze was never just a material. It was the medium of ceremony, its weight and ring part of the rite itself.
A jue (tripod cup) of this kind was cast to be seen in low light, its relief doing the work that paint would do later. The gilt bronze finish keeps the form readable across the centuries.
The Jin court used bronze to make lineage visible. A jue (tripod cup) could carry an inscription or a pattern that named the family and the favour that elevated it.
The jue (tripod cup) is a document in metal. Sinocra keeps it in view with more from The Palace Museum, and the shop carries the craft forward.
Object details
| Name | Gilt and Engraved Flower Jue (鎏金錾花爵) |
|---|---|
| Artefact no. | 新00082610 |
| Technique | Gilt bronze (鎏金) |
| Period | Jin dynasty (1115-1234 CE) |
| Collection | The Palace Museum, Beijing |
| Source | Palace Museum Digital Collection (数字文物库) |
Image © The Palace Museum. View the original in the Palace Museum Digital Collection.