Bronze wine table with cloud designs proves ancient alcohol ban

Fashioned with lost-wax casting technology, the bronze wine table (jin) with intricate cloud designs testifies to the alcohol prohibition promulgated between the early West Zhou Dynasty (c.11th century-771 BC) and the Warring States period (475-221 BC). The ban was in place to prevent the state from corrupting and failing as the previous alcohol-abusing Xia and Shang dynasties (c. 21st century-11th century BC) had done.

Unearthed from a tomb dating to the ancient State of Chu in Henan province, this 2,500-year-old artifact is one of the most potent treasures of the Henan Museum for demonstrating Chinese ancestor's consummate mastery of bronze casting technology.