Set of cookware (stand, stove and steamer)

The three parts of this cooking utensil are perfectly fitted together: a steamer on top with round holes in the bottom; a stove in the middle with slits in its bottom; and a four-legged stand. The open work on the lower portion of each section presents diverse decorative patterns and mimics devices found on real stoves to allow the heat to flow upward. Pottery cookware with holes in the bottom originated in the neolithic Yangshao culture and evolved over a long period until finally the form was adopted by bronzesmiths. Lovely sets such as this attest to the skill and imagination of Han potters.