Western Han Dynasty bronze receptacle reveals owner’s prominent status

Bronze receptacles from the ancient Dian Kingdom, used for storing cowrie shells, boast unique ethnic characteristics and have never been found in other regions.

Here is a specimen from the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24)! It features a waisted cylindrical shape, adorned by two tiger-shaped handles on two sides of its waist. The lifelike tigers are depicted climbing upwards. Four robust-looking oxen running counter-clockwise around a tray, with a cylindrical knob, are on the lid. A gilded rider on a horse is set on the tray.

With the rider dressed in magnificent attire and having a sword at his waist, it indicates that the tomb owner held significant power, possibly a royal family member of the ancient Dian Kingdom. It is one of the receptacles in the permanent collection of the Yunnan Provincial Museum.