Pinnacle of bronze casting technology from more than 2,000 years ago

This set of treasure consists of a zun vessel and a saucer. The zun vessel’s rim features openwork decorations of numerous intertwined dragons and snakes, resembling clouds from a distance. Four leopards with their tongues sticking out are attached to the neck of the vessel. The vessel’s body and base are adorned with chi dragon patterns in relief.

The saucer holding the vessel is also decorated with the same openwork dragon and snake patterns.

Excavated from the tomb of the Marquis Yi of the State of Zeng, in Suizhou, Hubei province, in 1978, the vessel and saucer represent the pinnacle of Shang (c.16th century-11th century BC) and Zhou (c.11th century-256 BC) bronze ware crafts. They are now in the permanent collection of the Hubei Provincial Museum.