Elephant Bronze Ware (Zun), Shang Dynasty

[Photo/artron.net]

The elephant bronze ware from the late period of Shang Dynasty is quite precious and rare. Although the lid on its back was lost and its trunk was also destroyed, the elephant bronze ware is still the largest animal-shaped Zun in the whole world.

In June 1903, Earl Camondo, a French collector, bought it with 3,000 francs. After he died, it was transferred to the Louvre Museum. And now the Elephant Zun is preserved in Musée Guimet. In 1914 it was classified in the category of “sculpture from Burma or Cambodia”. The Elephant Zun was classified as “Chinese sculpture” in 1922. In 2004, it was loaned to the Shanghai Museum and was shown to Chinese for the first time.