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5. Situla Vietnam Dông Son's Culture (5th c. BC. - 1th c. BC.) bronze 15 1/2 inches |
This situla, (“thap” in Vietnamese), presents a wide variety of friezes and decorative motifs with a succession of vertical incisions and circles that are connected to each other by tangent lines. They reproduce the pattern of the wave, a very frequent one on pre-Dong Sonian ceramics. The two central frieze include a scene of pelicans. This situla has no lid, as is confirmed by the lack of narrowing at the opening. The vertical thread visible on both sides of the body of the situla might indicate – this is yet to be confirmed, see Barbier-Mueller, 2003 – the use of a two-part mould. A very beautiful, even, green patina underlines the harmony of this piece. Situlas are, with drums, the most representative objects of Dong Son culture. It should be noted that no situlas have been found outside of the “pure” Dong Sonian sites (see the map of Dong Son sites) whereas drums spread through all of Southeast Asia. Situlas were essentially used to hold drink and objects in daily use. The largest ones could also be used as funeral urns. |