Li tripod food vessel

This three-lobed vessel is cast in flat relief with three taotie masks comprising the chief decoration. While the motifs on the upper frieze, where space is more restricted, are simple stylized Ts, the masks on the legs are impressively complex. The pronounced bulging eyes are surrounded by coiled horns; its body and curled tail is shown in profile surrounded by spirals. The tripod is a good example of a Shang bronze ritual vessel whose basic shape evolved from Neolithic and early Bronze Age ceramics.