This form of a covered ritual vessel is called a "gong." Each seems to have been shaped for a particular purpose, a purpose relating to the kind of sacrifice being made and the animal spirit to which the sacrifice was being made. Sometimes, as in this case, the intended animal may well have been the totem animal of a tribal group. Rhinos, like elephants, ran wild in Bronze Age China. Now, like the elephant, there are none, except in captivity. For many centuries, the main type of Chinese military armor was Rhino hide. (FLG)
Rotating video: https://vimeo.com/504858525
- Edition: Replica
- Subject Matter: Rhinocerous
- Inventory Number: 2015.1
- Collections: Sacred World Art Collection