Opinions vary on the meaning of the term tao-tie‚ but it may be possible to sketch and catch a glimpse of its original appearance according to the texts in which it has been recorded. The section of the Zuo Zhuan that records the eighteenth year of the Duke of Wen’s reign relates: ‘Jinyun Clan had someone named Master Jinyun and had a son who lacked in ability‚ loved to eat and drink‚ coveted wealth‚ was headstrong and extravagant‚ and insatiably greedy; he collected and hoarded land tax money without check; he shared nothing with widows or orphans‚ showed no mercy to the poor and did not help the poor. The common people all regarded him in the same way as the three wicked ones‚ and called him tao-tie.’ Accordingly‚ later generations referred to ‘gluttonous people’ and ‘fiendishly greedy people’ as tao-tie. One explanation states that the tao-tie was one of the Nine Children of the Dragon‚ whose favorite hobby was eating and drinking. This theory arose relatively late‚ and is not found in the books of the Qin and Han dynasties. Thus‚ it is hard to regard this as more than a strained interpretation; it does not merit deeper investigation. In addition‚ the ‘Foreknowledge’ chapter in the ‘Examinations’ section of Master Lü's Spring and Autumn Annals records: ‘Ding have a tao-tie cast‚ with only a head and no body; it tries to eat people but‚ before it can swallow them down‚ and harms itself.’ Accordingly‚ later generations believed that the tao-tie symbolized a kind of fearful beast from an ancient legend. ‘Tao-tie cast’ means ‘cast with a tao-tie motif’. Wine vessel (a kind of wine vessel) from the late Shang Dynasty. Bronzeware from the Shang and Zhou dynasties features a kind of design in which usually only the animal’s head is retained‚ while the other physical features are omitted—the same as that found on Ding cast with a tao-tie motif with the distinctive feature of a head but no body‚ mentioned in Master Lü's Spring and Autumn Annals. For this reason‚ in the past this design was commonly referred to as the ‘tao-tie motif’. The composition of the tao-tie motif found on bronzeware takes the centered bridge of the nose‚ which is carved in relief and protrudes as the reference line. The eyes are then arranged symmetrically‚ protruding on each side of this line‚ forming the shape of the monster’s face‚ along with eyebrows‚ ears‚ and a pair of curled horns. Many are lined along the bottom with a thundercloud pattern. There are also examples of two servants decorated with the kui motif‚ standing symmetrically on each side. Axe-shaped jade pendant with tao-tie pattern from the R.O.C. period. The inspection of archaeological objects have revealed that the earliest tao-tie motifs (today also known as the ‘monster mask motif’) are found on jadeware. In the Liangcheng town area of Rizhao city in Shandong Province‚ they found a jade adze (a kind of edge tool) from the Longshan Culture‚ carved on both the top and bottom with elaborate tao-tie motifs. Langzhu Culture jadeware and earthenware found in the region of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River in Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces often feature this design. The motif is also found on grey earthenware from a subsequent period‚ early Erlitou Culture (that is‚ Xia culture). The resemblance of these pieces’ designs to the tao-tie motifs found on bronzeware show that the two are linked. The tao-tie motif started to appear on early Shang Dynasty bronzeware‚ and began to flourish in the middle period. By the later period of the Shang dynasty and the early period of the Western Zhou Dynasty‚ it had gained status as chief design‚ and became the prevailing design of the time. In the later period of the Western Zhou Dynasty‚ it gradually declined‚ becoming one of several less important designs. By the Spring and Autumn and the Warring States periods‚ it had almost disappeared. The designs found on bronzeware from the Shang and Zhou Dynasties are multifarious: some resemble animals‚ including fictional ones‚ such as dragons and phoenixes‚ while others resemble real creatures‚ such as tigers‚ oxen‚ tortoises‚ and snakes. In addition‚ some resemble natural phenomena such as fire‚ whirlpools‚ and commonly seen geometric patterns‚ as well as alternating elemental patterns and their distortions—so many patterns that they are almost innumerable. As for the tao-tie motif becoming such a mainstream design‚ perhaps it was precisely because it conformed to the Shang Dynasty’s belief in supernatural beings‚ or the political needs of the times‚ that it became so widely used. | 
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