Gu wine vessel, 12th-11th C BCE

Gu wine vessel, 12th-11th C BCE, now in the collection of the Minneapolis Institute of Art. From the object's page on [artsmia.org](www.artsmia.org): *Archaeological evidence reveals that bronze gu first appeared during the Erligang period (c. 1500–1300 BCE) of the Shang dynasty. The gu enjoyed its greatest popularity during the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BCE), but became less popular in the early Western Zhou (c. 1046–977 BCE), before gradually disappearing during the Eastern Zhou dynasty (770–256 BCE). The gradual decline of the wine vessel may have something to do with the Zhou king’s deprecation of alcohol consumption—he believed that overindulgence in alcohol resulted in the collapse of Shang. This gu is decorated with variations of the taotie (composite animal) mask. The background pattern of tight spirals, found all over the vessel, is called leiwen and is a hallmark of Shang bronze casting.* More information [here](https://collections.artsmia.org/art/1107/gu-wine-vessel-china)