Tripod with Animal-faced decorations from the Western Zhou Dynasty

36.8 cm in height, 29.9 cm in perimeter 

Unearthed from the Liuli River Archaeological Site in Beijing’s Fangshan District 

Capital Museum Collection

Its mouth is folded with unfurling edges, its lips are square, its ears upright. It has a slightly bulging belly, a round bottom and three hoofed feet. Under its mouth and in the middle of its abdomen are six groups of animal-faced decorations with short ridged noses. The tripod is decorated with patterns of clouds and lightning at its base. It has triangular vertical-leafed animal faces in its lower abdomen, as well as animal faces with ridges as noses at the base of its three feet with three convex strings under . With such magnificent decorative patterns as well as vigorous and powerful ornamentation, the tripod is extraordinary and is an outstanding piece of art treasure from early Western Zhou Dynasty bronze ware.