More than 2,000 years ago, people of the Dian Kingdom in the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24) coexisted with the green peafowls and even honored them in art. This bronze liquor cup, now housed in Yunnan Provincial Museum, tells that story.
Tall and slender with a hollow lid shaped like a five-tiered pagoda, it features two golden pheasants on the first tier and a peafowl standing on the top. Its rare and ornate design suggests it may have been used in grand ceremonies, celebrating the significant status of green peafowls in ancient Yunnan.
Exhibition
Young imaginations on vibrant display
Exhibition
Louvre exhibits show influence of China