Date: Late Shang (13th - 11th century BC)
Dimensions: Height 38.8 cm, Diameter of mouth 31.6 cm, Diameter of base 29.1 cm
Weight: 14,240 g
Material: Bronze

• Object Type：
  • BRONZE
• Location：
  • Ancient Chinese Bronze Gallery
• Tag：
  • pou food vessel ram head late shang bronze

The mineralization of the whole vessel produced basic cupric carbonate, which made the surface of the ware shiny and green, beautiful and mysterious. The ram heads could be covered on the ornamentation on the shoulder, which implied that the heads were cast separately. The body of the vessel was case first, and then holes and passages were left on the shoulder and finally pottery model was built on the holes and passages to cast the ram heads. Such unique decorative composition is only found in early and middle Shang bronze wares, with an exception of the Yin Ruins, and the casting region remains a mystery to date.