Bronze pole decorated with birds has mysterious functions

Try to guess the purpose of this bronze artifact. Its square base rises into a central pole, which is adorned with two birds, one on the top and one in the middle — each facing a different direction at a right angle to each other. The birds' eyes are beautifully inlaid with turquoise. The base is decorated with rows of rivets and square-spiral motifs.

Unearthed in 1995 from a high-status tomb at the Xianrentai site in Changqing district, Jinan city, Shandong province, this rare artifact dating back to the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC) is now housed in the Shandong University Museum. Scholars believe it may be a ritual object used in sacrificial ceremonies, or a functional stand for hanging ornaments.