TAO TIE

The Taotie s a motif commonly found on ritual bronze vessels from the Shang and Zhou Dynasty. The design typically consists of a zoomorphic mask, described as being frontal, symmetrical, with a pair of eyes and typically no lower jaw area. Some (Ladislav Kesner) argue that the design can be traced back to Neolithic jades of the ancient Yantgtze River Liangzhu culture.