Water Ewer (He), Eastern Zhou dynasty, Warring States period (480–221 B.C.), 4th century B.C. Bronze with copper inlay, 25.4 × 21 cm. Art Institute of Chicago, Lucy Maud Buckingham Collection, 1930.366

Whereas this type of water ewer is found together with wine vessels in tombs of the Shang period, it typically appears with a shallow water basin (pan) in Zhou tombs. This change in burial context suggests a change in function—from a vessel used to dilute wine to one used to pour ablutions. In this imaginative, finely cast example, various creatures assume different parts: bird-men (or men with birdlike headdresses) form the legs; a bird’s head acts as the spout; and on the lid, a small monkey grasps a chain linked to a feline animal whose broadly arched back forms the handle.