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<I>Lei<I> (ritual wine vessel)
Title:Lei (ritual wine vessel)
Artist:Artist Unknown
Date:1300-1201 BCE
Creation Place:Asia, China
Credit Line:Bequest of Alfred F. Pillsbury
Accession Number:50.46.3a,b
Used for holding wine and sometimes water, this vessel represents a class in which a typical pottery shape has been translated into bronze. New technology accommodated precise decorative schemes - thinner vessel walls and more structurally sound knobs, handles and pendant rings - than was possible in pottery. As bronze artisans continued to perfect their craft, vessels became increasingly elaborate, intricately cast and varied in form.