Han Dynasty, Circa 202 BC - 220 AD An elegant Han Dynasty greyware Hu vessel. The simple vessel is decorated on the shoulders opposite sides with moulded taotie masks and a ring. Lightly incised grooves run around the vessel. It has a plain rim, large bulbous body, and stands on a raised integral base, with original bulbous shaped lid. The taotie is a motif commonly found on early Chinese ritual bronze vessels: the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, and possibly further back to Neolithic times. It typically consists of a frontal zoomorphic mask, with a pair of raised eyes and no lower jaw area. This shape is known as ‘hu’: a vase of baluster-shape, copied from bronze vessels. The form is characterised by a pear-shaped body, which continues upwards in a curve towards a generous opening. Size: L:500mm / W:275mm ; 6.9kg. Provenance: UK private collection; formerly acquired in the early 1990s in Hong Kong.