Buffalo-shaped bronze zun vessel from Yinxu site

As the only buffalo-shaped bronze artifact ever discovered at the Yinxu site, this bronze zun vessel is truly a masterpiece of ancient craftsmanship. Besides its lifelike appearance, it features intricate dragon, tiger, bird and fish motifs. A lid secures a rectangular opening on its back. Inscriptions of "Ya Zhang" (Chinese: 亚长) reveal the tomb owner's identity – a tribal leader in the southern "Zhang" Kingdom during the Shang Dynasty (c.16th century-11th century BC).

This 3,000-year-old treasure showcases ancient people's awe and reverence for the wild and mysterious animals around them, now standing as the crown jewel of the Yinxu Museum in Anyang, Henan province.