Lai He

Age: Late Western Zhou Dynasty

Specifications: 48cm in height, 52cm in length, 12kg in weight

Original location: Yangjia Village, Mei County

Historical value: He was an ancient vessel for mixing wine and water, using water to adjust the taste of wine. The vessel has a unique shape and a wonderful design. From the inscription, it is known that it was a ritual vessel made by the eighth generation of the Shan family in the Western Zhou Dynasty to worship the great ancestor Shan Gong. The body of the vessel is oblate, decorated with dragon patterns on both sides, and the cover is a phoenix, with its head high and wings spread out, which is lifelike. At the junction of the cover and the body, there is a tiger, which climbs up with its head tilted, and looks leisurely and contented, but still has the majesty of the king of beasts. The handle of the he is a dragon head that swallows clouds and spits out mist, as if it is flying in the air, calling the wind and rain. The 12-centimeter-long and straight tubular flow is like a long dragon dancing its body, opening its mouth to spit out fine wine. The whole body of the vessel is supported by four dragon heads, which is flexible and stable. The majestic tiger connects the strong and powerful dragon and the gentle and kind phoenix, creating a picture of dragons soaring, tigers leaping, and phoenixes bringing good luck. The dragon and the phoenix, the strong and the soft, the dynamic and the static complement each other, echo each other, and are harmonious and unified.