Wine Vessel (Hu)

This tall, slender bronze wine vessel, called a hu, has three bands of ornamentation: one above the foot, one around the neck, and one on the cover. Stylized birds or phoenixes are in the band around the neck, while the band on the cover and foot feature geometric dragons. The dragon and the phoenix may represent yin and yang and would be equally appropriate on a bronze of either secular or religious purposes. When inverted, the cover forms a cup. It likely held liquids like wine at festive banquets or religious ceremonies. The cylindrical "handles" at the neck band suggest that the vessel was carried by a cord.