Chinese

Created by piece-mold casting, these early Chinese bronzes feature intricate geometric designs formed when their makers pressed pattern blocks into the damp clay molds. Joins between the clay molds are visible as raised ribs on the bronze exteriors. These works were used in important ceremonies in which wine and food were offered to the deceased ancestors of ruling clans and heads of state; wine was stored in the lei and heated in the jue, whose long legs allowed it to be placed directly over the fire.