Taotie

(noun)

A motif commonly found on Chinese ritual bronze vessels from the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, typically consisting of a zoomorphic mask, described as being frontal, bilaterally symmetrical, with a pair of raised eyes and typically no lower jaw area.

Examples of Taotie in the following topics:

  • Art of the Bronze Age

    • Ritual bronzes were highly decorated with taotie motifs , including highly stylized animal faces, in three main motif types: demons, symbolic animals, and abstract symbols.
    • China, Shang or Zhou dynasty bronze, c. 1000 BCE.Taotie - a mask of an imaginary animal with eyes, horns, snout, and jaw.

  • Jade in Neolithic China

    • The jade from this culture is characterized by finely worked large ritual jades, commonly incised with the taotie motif.

  • Bronze under the Zhou Dynasty

    • Surviving identified Chinese ritual bronzes from the Zhou Dynasty tend to be highly decorated, often with the taotie motif, which involves highly stylized animal faces.