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China

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 (10 × 8.3 in)

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● On view now — Gallery 132

Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · verified July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

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.

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