Jian water basin

This jian, a large bowl-shaped vessel with a deep body and heavy rim, is decorated with a dense serpentine pattern and four attached animal-head ring handles. The interlocked serpentine relief appears in three bands encircling the neck and the main body, separated by a frieze of braided ropes. Intertwined dragons wriggle within these bands, their bodies embellished with incised spirals and meanders. The vessel bears an inscription on the interior wall, which reads: The jian for amusement of the son of Lord Zhi. Zhi was a ruling family of the Jin state, and Zhi Yao, the last member of its linage, was killed in 453 BCE. The decorative style, together with the inscription, identify the vessel as cast at the foundry of the Jin state.