Dragon head and phoenix tail

Dragon head and phoenix tail cauldron, bronze ware, daily utensil. Song Dynasty. Tail height 17.00; total height 25.00; mouth height 16.00; mouth diameter 15.00; foot height 9.00 cm. Excavated from Yangmiao Brigade, Dancheng. Now in the collection of Henan Museum.

Dragon head and phoenix tail cauldron, round body, dragon head with curved handle, top is in the shape of a dragon head, eyes wide open, mouth slightly open, with whiskers under the jaw. The dragon head and dragon horns are bent backwards, cleverly forming a pair of arc-shaped perforations. Long handle, with welding marks on the handle and the pot.

There is a groove-shaped U-shaped spout on one side of the mouth. Wide mouth, straight belly, plain surface, flat bottom, with string pattern on the lower part of the belly. The rear part of the cauldron is a phoenix tail-shaped flap, slightly tilted, with a semicircular ring ear on top (Figure 1). The three feet are hoof-shaped and touch the ground, outward, and there is a word under the feet: Li, Bao, Ji. (Figure 2)

Figure 1 Top view of the cauldron

Figure 2 Bottom of the cauldron

The cauldron is intact, and the body and bottom of the pot clearly retain traces of smoke. The whole body is embroidered green, the copper cauldron has a beautiful shape and exquisite craftsmanship. It is a rare fine product among the cauldrons unearthed in the Song Dynasty.