Ritual wine vessel (Yayi jia)

Most vessels of this type were used for serving wine during Shang rituals. Due to its height and heaviness, this vessel was probably made more for display than for actual use. The decoration consists primarily of taotie masks and small one-legged dragons (kuilong) in relief against a background of spiral thunder patterns (leiwen). The handle features a horned beast holding a bird in its mouth.

This vessel was reportedly found near the late Shang capital Anyang and is similar in size and decoration to a group of objects excavated from the tomb of Fu Hao, a consort of King Wu Ding.

The inscription cast in the bottom of the vessel represents a man with a cross-shaped symbol on top of his head. Now read “Yayi,” this symbol appears in many late Shang bronzes and is probably a clan sign.