Bird-Shaped Container (zun), Late Shang dynasty (13th century–1046 B.C.). Bronze, 15.9 × 13.3 × 5.7 cm. Art Institute of Chicago, Lucy Maud Buckingham Collection, 1936.139.

Animal-shaped vessels are the rarest of all Shang ritual bronzes. The scaled pattern on the neck of this bird-shaped vessel suggests feathers, though other details are fantastical: a coiled serpent fills the front of the wing, its body continuing down onto the tail; a dragon, head in profile, decorates the back part of the wing against a background of squared spirals; a monster mask crowns the head of the vessel between its horns, while another mask decorates the removable lid. This creature, in all its complexity, is a fascinating blend of alert poise and solemn dignity.