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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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A jade burial suit is a ceremonial suit made of pieces of jade in which royal members of China's Han dynasty were buried. The top one for example belongs to the king Liu Wu , and was made from more than 4,000 pieces of jade linked together with gold wire

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A jade burial suit is a ceremonial suit made of pieces of jade in which royal members of China's Han dynasty were buried. The top one for example belongs to the king Liu Wu , and was made from more than 4,000 pieces of jade linked together with gold wire

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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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A bronze vessel with animal-face patterns, Shang dynasty , found in Hunan Province in China

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A bronze vessel with animal-face patterns, Shang dynasty , found in Hunan Province in China

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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 vessel with owl face motif. China, Shang dynasty, 1200 BC

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Bronze vessel with owl face motif. China, Shang dynasty, 1200 BC

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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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Grand Bronze Yue with Openwork Teeth. Weighing a crushing 11.4 kg, this fanged ceremonial axe served as the very jaws of the Gods—wielded by Shang rulers to decapitate the defeated and feed their lives to the Heavens. China, c. 1200 BC

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Grand Bronze Yue with Openwork Teeth. Weighing a crushing 11.4 kg, this fanged ceremonial axe served as the very jaws of the Gods—wielded by Shang rulers to decapitate the defeated and feed their lives to the Heavens. China, c. 1200 BC

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A round bronze pan-zun set, from the tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng at Leigudun, China. The complex design, featuring intertwined beasts and hornless dragons, was achieved by using the method of lost-wax casting. C.433 BCE, now housed at the Hubei Provincial Museum

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A round bronze pan-zun set, from the tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng at Leigudun, China. The complex design, featuring intertwined beasts and hornless dragons, was achieved by using the method of lost-wax casting. C.433 BCE, now housed at the Hubei Provincial Museum

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Ceremonial jade axe with bronze handle and turquoise inlays. China, Shang dynasty, 1200 BC

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Ceremonial jade axe with bronze handle and turquoise inlays. China, Shang dynasty, 1200 BC

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Deer skull fragment with inscription about the time and place of a king's hunting activities. China, Shang dynasty, around 1200 BC

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Deer skull fragment with inscription about the time and place of a king's hunting activities. China, Shang dynasty, around 1200 BC

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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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A bronze table with frogs and snakes design, Warring States Period to Western Han Dynasty , now housed at the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture Museum in China

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A bronze table with frogs and snakes design, Warring States Period to Western Han Dynasty , now housed at the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture Museum in China

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Bronze wine warmer on three legs. China, Shang dynasty, 1250-1200 BC

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Bronze wine warmer on three legs. China, Shang dynasty, 1250-1200 BC

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Rubbing of an engraving depicting Budai, the jolly fat monk with his bag of treasures. Shandong, China, Jin dynasty, 1209 AD

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Rubbing of an engraving depicting Budai, the jolly fat monk with his bag of treasures. Shandong, China, Jin dynasty, 1209 AD

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A bronze dagger with hollow sheath, Western Zhou Dynasty , now housed at the Gansu Provincial Museum in China

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A bronze dagger with hollow sheath, Western Zhou Dynasty , now housed at the Gansu Provincial Museum in China

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Helmet Fittings ~ Shang dynasty. Shandong Provincial Museum, Jinan As China moved into the Bronze Age. These bronze plates, including an intimidating animal face, were originally sewn onto leather helmets.

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Helmet Fittings ~ Shang dynasty. Shandong Provincial Museum, Jinan As China moved into the Bronze Age. These bronze plates, including an intimidating animal face, were originally sewn onto leather helmets.

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A bronze crossbow trigger mechanism with gold and silver inlays, Han Dynasty, 1st century BCE, now housed at the Nanjing Museum in China

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A bronze crossbow trigger mechanism with gold and silver inlays, Han Dynasty, 1st century BCE, now housed at the Nanjing Museum in China

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