Shang Dynasty

Maximum diameter at mouth: 44.4 cm; Height: 58.6 cm; Weight: 34.6 kg

Unearthed in 1938 in Ningxiang, Hunan Province

Among extant Shang-Dynasty bronze square zun vessels, the Square Vessel with Four Rams is the largest. Bold and extraordinary in form, its shoulders, belly, and feet are ingeniously integrated into four rams with curled horns, each occupying a corner.

The vessel combines high- and low-relief decorative techniques, seamlessly uniting the four rams with the vessel's body and transforming what might otherwise be a rigid form into one that is vivid and dynamic.