Covered tripod jar with two low-relief handles

The bronze tripods with mound-shaped cover and cylindrical body which appeared in the Warring States period served as the model for tripod jars like this one. The inscriptions jiuzun ("wine ware") and wenjiuzun ("wine warming ware") carved on Han bronze tripods of this shape identify the vessel's function as a wine vessel, or zun. Zun of metal, lacquer, and pottery became the most common type of tomb furnishing from the time of the Western Han. Pottery zun were produced in unglazed, unglazed and painted with color pigments, and glazed types. This piece, with its black glaze, flat cover, and two shallow-relief animal motif handles, displays features highly valued among Central Plain wares.