Ritual wine vessel (hu)

The blank areas around the decoration on this large hu would once have been filled with a colored paste. It is widely believed that these designs are transformed or simplified versions of a pictorial tradition that would have been painted on buildings, lacquered wood, or textiles that have not survived. The designs are typical of a group of bronzes most often associated with Northwest China. The scenes of animal combat, ceremony, and hunting are often attributed to the influence of nomadic people living on China’s borders.