Ritual ram-form wine vessel, Gong (bronze)

The animal is cast standing foursquare and fitted with an elongated cover ending in a ram's head with prominent C-shaped horns. The top of the cover is decorated with a pair of kui dragons and a taotie mask and is set with a standing kui dragon with curling tail and a small standing bird at the center. The body is cast on each side with a large crested bird, its clawed foot extending downward onto the legs of the ram and its elongated tail curling around the ram's haunch. The chest of the ram is further decorated with a pair of crouching tigers. All of the decoration is cast in shallow relief and reserved on leiwen grounds. The patina is of yellowish-brown color.