This ladle is an implement for pouring water. Being deep and semioval in shape, the mouth of the ladle has a capacity of 1,520 ml. It lacks any kind of motif or ornamental pattern, but contains an inscription that reads “right” (yu), which may indicate the position of where it was placed. Servants likely attended to Shang royalty as they washed, using a ladle to pour water from a basin to wash their hands and face.
3D Gallery of the IHP── 右勺
- Item No.
- R006870
- Period
- Late 14th-mid 11th century B.C.
- Dimensions
- Length 31, width 16.2 cm.
- Excavated/Findspot
- Royal Tomb M1400, Hsi -pei-kang, Anyang, Honan
- Materials
- Bronze
- Notes
- Significant antiquity
