CHINA ARQUEOLOGIA golden-age-chinese-archayeolog

97
Bronze jian-fou cooler and ladle
jian: height 63 (24 7 A)
fou: height 51.8 (20 V-z)
ladle: length 84 (33)
Warring States Period (c. 433 BCE)
From Leigudun, Suixian, Hubei Province
The National Museum of Chinese History, Beijing
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A pair of jian-fou were found in the central chamber
of the tomb next to the other vessels associated
with the serving of wine — the zun-pan (cat. 95),
the pair of large hu (cat. 96), and the filter (cat. 98).
Lying across the top of each jian-fou was a large
ladle (shao) used to extract the wine. 1 Each weighing
approximately 170 kilograms, the jian-fou are
the largest of the Marquis Yi ritual vessels (fig. i),
and the impression of immense mass is accentuated
by the top-heavy profile of the vessels: large
slabs overhanging the edges of the vessels bear
down on the heads of the serpentine handles,
while the small creatures that support the vessels
appear to sag under the weight of their burden.
Each comprises an outer vessel (jian) and a
much smaller inner vessel (fou). A removable grate
with a square opening holds the neck of the fou.
The base of the fou is secured at the bottom by
L-shaped prongs that protrude from the inside of
the jians base and fit into square openings in the
foot of the/ou; a hinged lock on one of the prongs
holds them in position (see fig. i). The composite
form of these vessels suggests that they were used
to cool wine by filling the space between the two
containers with ice. The provision of ice for cooling
wine seems to have been important in ceremonies
and banquets during the summer months.
A passage in the Zhou li (Rites of Zhou) refers to the
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