taotie motif
Historical term for a stylized animal-face design found on ancient Chinese ritual bronzes, especially from the Shang and Zhou dynasties. Used in art history and archaeology.
See also: 饕餮
This bronze vessel is cast with a taotie motif.
The taotie motif is typically seen on ritual bronzes from the Shang and Zhou periods.
饕餮 refers to the mythical gluttonous creature itself, while 饕餮文 specifically denotes the decorative motif based on that creature.
Standard kanji spelling for the taotie motif; 文 is the usual character for decorative patterns.
Variant using 紋, which also means pattern or design; both spellings are encountered in art-historical contexts.
From Chinese 饕餮 (tāotiè), a mythical gluttonous beast, combined with 文 (pattern). The motif's exact origin and meaning are debated among scholars.