Cover with Dragon Handles

China, 17th century or Ming dynasty, bronze, Taotie motif, ritual lild, handles in shape of dragons, paper label with old inventory number inside, height 15 cm. Provenience: privat Belgian collection. Authenticity confirmed by sinologist Zlata Černá. Taotie is a motif commonly found on Chinese ritual bronze vessels from the Shang and Zhou Dynasty. The design typically consists of a zoomorphic mask, described as being frontal, bilaterally symmetrical, with a pair of raised eyes and typically no lower jaw area. Some argue that the design can be traced back to jade pieces found in Neolithic sites such as the Liangzhu culture (3310–2250 BCE).