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Ritual bronze wine ewer with masks, dragons, birds, tigers, elephants, fish, snakes, and humans. Late Shang dynasty, ca. 1100-1050 BCE. Part of the Smithsonian Freer Gallery of Asian Art

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Ritual bronze wine ewer with masks, dragons, birds, tigers, elephants, fish, snakes, and humans. Late Shang dynasty, ca. 1100-1050 BCE. Part of the Smithsonian Freer Gallery of Asian Art

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Spouted vessel in the form of an elephant with masks , dragons, and snakes . China, late Shang dynasty, late Anyang period, ca. 1100 BC. Bronze. National Museum of Asian Art collection

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Spouted vessel in the form of an elephant with masks , dragons, and snakes . China, late Shang dynasty, late Anyang period, ca. 1100 BC. Bronze. National Museum of Asian Art collection

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Tubular chariot fitting with rabbits. China, Shang dynasty, late Anyang period, ca. 1100-1050 BC. Bronze. National Museum of Asian Art collection

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Tubular chariot fitting with rabbits. China, Shang dynasty, late Anyang period, ca. 1100-1050 BC. Bronze. National Museum of Asian Art collection

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An archaic bronze ritual wine vessel , Late Shang dynasty, 1250–c. 1046 BC,

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An archaic bronze ritual wine vessel , Late Shang dynasty, 1250–c. 1046 BC,

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Ritual wine container in shape of owl, late Shang Dynasty. Smithsonian collection.

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Ritual wine container in shape of owl, late Shang Dynasty. Smithsonian collection.

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Ritual wine vessel in the form of a ram. China, Shang dynasty, 1300s-1100s BC. Bronze. Loaned to the Cleveland Museum of Art

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Ritual wine vessel in the form of a ram. China, Shang dynasty, 1300s-1100s BC. Bronze. Loaned to the Cleveland Museum of Art

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'Gong' Covered Ritual Wine Vessel with Tiger and Owl Decor, Chinese Shang Dynasty, cast bronze, 13th century BCE, Sackler Museum - Harvard University, Boston

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'Gong' Covered Ritual Wine Vessel with Tiger and Owl Decor, Chinese Shang Dynasty, cast bronze, 13th century BCE, Sackler Museum - Harvard University, Boston

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Bronze container lid with three tigers. China, Shang dynasty, 1200-1100 BC

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Bronze container lid with three tigers. China, Shang dynasty, 1200-1100 BC

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A gold ewer decorated with a dragon and lion playing with a ball, Ming dynasty, 1601 CE, now housed at the Qujiang Museum of Fine Arts in Xian, China

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A gold ewer decorated with a dragon and lion playing with a ball, Ming dynasty, 1601 CE, now housed at the Qujiang Museum of Fine Arts in Xian, China

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Double-Faced Bronze Deity Head. The only known example from the Shang Dynasty. This human-beast idol was once crowned with feathers and used as a ritual scepter to commune with the divine. China, c. 1200 BCE

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Double-Faced Bronze Deity Head. The only known example from the Shang Dynasty. This human-beast idol was once crowned with feathers and used as a ritual scepter to commune with the divine. China, c. 1200 BCE

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This chinese bronze wine vessel represents the pinnacle of craftsmanship from the Western Zhou Dynasty . It has a tiger on top of its head, a phoenix on its back and 2 dragons on its chest and hip, with elaborate dragon, tiger and spiral patterns adorning the entire vessel

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This chinese bronze wine vessel represents the pinnacle of craftsmanship from the Western Zhou Dynasty . It has a tiger on top of its head, a phoenix on its back and 2 dragons on its chest and hip, with elaborate dragon, tiger and spiral patterns adorning the entire vessel

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Bronze wine pitcher with animal mask patterns. Lid missing. China, Shang dynasty, 1200-1000 BC

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Bronze wine pitcher with animal mask patterns. Lid missing. China, Shang dynasty, 1200-1000 BC

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Head of a tomb figure of a Sogdian or Central Asian traveler, Tang dynasty, c. 700–c. 750, ceramic and paint, China, Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC.

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Head of a tomb figure of a Sogdian or Central Asian traveler, Tang dynasty, c. 700–c. 750, ceramic and paint, China, Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC.

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An ancient Chinese incense burner. Stoneware, with clear glaze and modeled dragons and lotus petals. Sui to early Tang dynasty, late 6th–7th century CE. Now housed at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston

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An ancient Chinese incense burner. Stoneware, with clear glaze and modeled dragons and lotus petals. Sui to early Tang dynasty, late 6th–7th century CE. Now housed at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston

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A bronze tripod with a handle and coiled dragon pattern, Spring and Autumn period , now housed at the Zhejiang Museum in China. The lid is decorated with 11 dragons and 16 other animals, including rhinoceroses, elephants, tigers, bears, and deer

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A bronze tripod with a handle and coiled dragon pattern, Spring and Autumn period , now housed at the Zhejiang Museum in China. The lid is decorated with 11 dragons and 16 other animals, including rhinoceroses, elephants, tigers, bears, and deer

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Nephrite jade ceremonial axe with bronze handle decorated with turquoise inlay and mask and cicada motifs. China, Shang dynasty, ca. 1200 BC; reportedly excavated in Anyang, Henan province. National Museum of Asian Art collection

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Nephrite jade ceremonial axe with bronze handle decorated with turquoise inlay and mask and cicada motifs. China, Shang dynasty, ca. 1200 BC; reportedly excavated in Anyang, Henan province. National Museum of Asian Art collection

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A large bronze drum from Guangxi province in China, now housed at the Freer Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Tang dynasty or earlier

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A large bronze drum from Guangxi province in China, now housed at the Freer Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Tang dynasty or earlier

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Bronze wine container with bird patterns. China, Shang dynasty, 1250–1046 BC

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Bronze wine container with bird patterns. China, Shang dynasty, 1250–1046 BC

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Bronze elephant with patterned skin. China, Shang dynasty, 1200-1000 BC

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Bronze elephant with patterned skin. China, Shang dynasty, 1200-1000 BC

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