Wine cup, Western Han dynasty (202 BCE–25 CE), 2nd century BCE. Lacquer on wood core, 5.4 x 17.15 x 13.34 cm. The Ruth Ann Dayton Chinese Room Endowment Fund, 2005.52.2.1 © Minneapolis Institute of Art 

By the middle of the Warring States period (475–221 BCE), the finest tableware was lacquer. Thinly carved wooden objects were protected with several coats of lacquer, creating a light, durable vessel. This rare wine cup, with its crescent-shaped handles, has, remarkably, survived intact. It is displayed here with a gilt-bronze cup stand of the same period.