Bronze Yoke Terminal Ornament with Turquoise Inlays
| Accession No. | R015343 |
|---|---|
| Period | Shang Dynasty |
| Material | Bronze |
| Findspot | Tomb No. 1136、1137 Hsi-pei-kang, Yin-xu Site |
| Geographic Location | Hou-Chia-Chuang village, Anyang, Honan province, China |
| Dimension | H. 10.95 cm; W. 6.3 cm |
Description
Bronze yoke terminal ornaments often come as a pair; they are designed to be tied to the end of the horizontal drawbar on a chariot. This ornament is ovate in shape like a small shield; it is thin, has a rounded top, pointed end and a curved back. The back of the piece has a vertical loop handle for tying it in place. The front of the artifact has a band of decoration running around the edge, which encloses depictions of an animal-mask with star-shaped horns on the top half and a triangular animal-mask on the bottom. The whole artifact is ornated with turquoise Inlays, while the bronze part was casted with the piece mold technique.