The design inspiration of this kettle originates from the bronze bell of the ancient Shu culture unearthed in Sanxingdui (early Shang Dynasty).
Sanxingdui is a multi-faceted culture, and the artifacts unearthed have distinct regional characteristics. When Han Xu first visited the Sanxingdui site, he was deeply shocked by this unique culture and felt that it would be difficult to combine it with traditional purple clay, as it seemed "incompatible."
However, as he delved deeper into the culture, he realized that there were actually many familiar symbols and elements on those artifacts that seemed "less Central Plains-like." For example, the jade ritual dagger held by the kneeling bronze figure, the zun on top of the kneeling bronze figure's head, the first great sacred tree, the large standing figure, and the dragon imagery on the shrine. In addition, typical decorations on Shang Dynasty bronze vessels, such as thunder patterns, kui dragon patterns, animal mask patterns, cloud patterns, and cicada patterns, were also widely used. These seemingly unfamiliar objects are vivid manifestations of the openness and creativity of the ancient Shu culture, and also an important part of early Chinese culture.
Finally, Han Xu chose this bronze bell as his creative material. In fact, there is a particularly famous kettle in the history of purple clay that evolved from a bronze musical instrument, the Handuo, which was designed based on a large bell from the Han Dynasty. The bronze bell that Han Xu referenced, from the early Shang Dynasty, is more archaic in form and waist-round in shape, making it more difficult to produce.
The cloud phoenix pattern on the kettle body is expressed through gold painting, evoking the taste of ancient bronze vessels with gold and gilt decoration. The carving adopts the beast mask pattern of Sanxingdui.