Bronze Yoke-Saddle Finials with Turquoise Inlays

Accession No. R015324_2
Period Shang Dynasty
Material Bronze
Findspot Chariot Pit No. 1136、1137 Hsi-pei-kang, Yin-xu Site
Geographic Location Hou-Chia-Chuang village, Anyang, Honan province, China
Dimension H. 6.21 cm; D. 4.08 cm; T. 0.38 cm

Description

This bronze yoke-saddle finial is a part of a chariot, capping and decorating the distal end of the “” shaped wooden yoke-saddle. The finial is a hollow cylinder that is narrow at the waist and broader at the top and bottom, with one end open. There are two holes on either side of the body for tying it in place. The top of the piece has been decorated with a hexagonal star, while the side of the body has been decorated with two bands of motifs, triangles and animal-masks. All of the above decorative patterns were created with turquoise inlays. The whole bronze object was created with the piece mold casting technique.
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