Pan (water vessel) of Zi Zhong Jiang (“my wife, who is the second eldest sister of Jiang”), Early Spring and Autumn period (770–first half of the 7th century BCE). Height 18.0 cm, Diameter of mouth 45.0 cm. Gift of Sunny Yip, 1997. © Shanghai Museum.

Pan is a water container used to contain the used water after ritual washing at sacrificial ceremonies and banquets during the Shang and Zhou periods. The ritual of washing by pouring water fell out of use in the Warring States Period. Pan gradually became a water container, also known as Xi (washer).

The interior is decorated with many aquatic animals, either in relief or three-dimension. With fish, turtle, frog, water bird all available, it is just like a scene in an aquarium. The most extraordinary feature is that all the round-carved animals can be swivelled in 360 degrees. When water pours into Pan, the fish, tortoise, frog and bird move in the water as if alive. It is an unprecedented wonderful creation. The casting workmanship is remarkable for its time, because it overcame the technical problem of the adhesion of moving parts, with the animal stems cast in the thin layer of the base, making them vertical without collision with each other when spinning.

An inscription of 32 characters is cast inside the Pan, meaning the master made this Pan for washing up for his wife, Zhong Jiang on the seventh of June on lunar calendar and it was large and wonderful.