This is a replica of a bronze "you" vessel used to hold liquids for ritual sacrifice, in the form of a tiger with a human head in its jaws. In Chinese tradition, the Tiger is a totemic animal that symbolizes protection. Some interpret the Tiger to be the medium through which the Shaman or Necromancer communicates with Heaven. An explanation of the tiger-human theme from Gilles Béguin, Arts de l’Asie au Musée Cernuschi is: " It may be related to a tradition recorded in the Zuozhuan, an ancient commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals (8th-5th centuries BC), which describes how the grandson of Ruoao, from the kingdom of Chu, by the name of Ziwen, was adopted and fed by a tigress when he was a child. " Reproduction inspired from Shang Dynasty You Vessels (1600 BCE – 1046 BCE).

For a good overview see: Christian Deydier, Understanding Ancient Chinese Bronzes, Their Importance in Chinese Culture, Their Shapes, Functions and Motif, 2015. (https://bit.ly/3jhjXRm)