Gourde bianhu 扁壺

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This particular type of flat-section hu flask with rounded sides, reminiscent of the gourds used by nomadic herdsmen, appeared in the late 5th or early 4th centuries BC in northern China. The flask’s walls are decorated with panels arranged in staggered rows with delicate vermiculated motifs. The Cernuschi Museum acquired a bronze characteristic of this type in 1986.
A simplified version of the bianhu, like this one, was often among the items placed in a grave.