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Which ancient Chinese bronze vessels were used to heat or offer wine?
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Chinese bronzes
Bronze gu from Anyang, Henan province, China, Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 bce); in the William Rockhill Nelson Gallery and Mary Atkins Museum of Fine Arts, Kansas City, Mo.
In ancient China, several types of bronze vessels were specifically designed for heating or offering wine during ritual ceremonies. These vessels were essential components of the sacrificial rites performed to honor ancestors.1
The following bronze vessels were used for these purposes:
- You: A covered bucket-shaped container featuring a swing handle.21
- Jia: A round tripod or square quadruped vessel with a side handle and two capped, pillar-like additions on the rim, which may have been used to suspend the vessel over a fire to heat the wine.13
- Jue: A smaller, pitcher-like beaker on three legs, characterized by an extended pouring spout and a pointed tail.14
- He: A vessel distinguished by its cylindrical pouring spout.1
- Gong: A vessel that resembles a covered gravy boat.1
- Gu: An elegant, trumpet-mouthed vessel.1
These vessels, along with others like the zun, were central to the theocratic practices of the Shang and early Zhou dynasties, serving as vital instruments for offerings to ancestral spirits.1