Ritual food vessel (zhui gui)

This vessel consists of two distinct parts: the bowl, which would have been used for the ritual serving of food, and a square base. A small bell is attached at the center point of the underside of the base. The vessel’s handles are in the form of horned animals with curling tails. The decoration is divided into two primary bands, one on the bowl and one on the base, separated by a narrow band of abstract designs. The designs on the bowl consist of two pairs of plumed animals, often identified as dragons, facing away from each other. Similar animals appear on the base, but these have their heads facing downward. These animal patterns fall into a trend of increasing abstraction found in the decoration of Western Zhou bronzes. By the late Western Zhou these animal-like forms had almost entirely vanished.
There is a fifty-nine-character inscription cast on the bottom of the vessel. There are at least four other vessels of the same shape with the same inscription, suggesting that this was one of a set. The inscription can be read:
Zhui fulfilled his obligation with all his heart and might day and night [therefore] the king bestowed many bounties upon Zhui. Zhui made so bold as to extol the king by using [these gifts] to make for his august ancestors this sacred gui. [May] it be used for memorial sacrifices to [these] late accomplished men and to beg for longevity, eternal life, loyal service to the king and a good death. May Zhui’s sons and grandsons for 10,000 years treasure and use it.