A ''you'' is a lidded vessel that was used for liquid offerings by the Chinese of the Zhou and Shang Dynasties. It sometimes lacks

taotie The ''Taotie'' () is an ancient Chinese mythological creature that was commonly emblazoned on bronze and other artifacts during the 1st millennium BC. ''Taotie'' are one of the " four evil creatures of the world". In Chinese classical texts such a ...

in favor of smoother surfaces. Sometimes these vessels are

zoomorphic The word ''zoomorphism'' derives from the Greek ζωον (''zōon''), meaning "animal", and μορφη (''morphē''), meaning "shape" or "form". In the context of art, zoomorphism could describe art that imagines humans as non-human animals. It c ...

, especially in the form of two owls back to back. Usually the handle of the ''you'' is in the form of a loop that attaches on either side of the lid, but it is occasionally a knob in the center of the lid. They can be quadruped or have a single base.

Gallery

Notes

References

External links

The great bronze age of China: an exhibition from the People's Republic of China
an exhibition catalog from The Metropolitan Museum of Art (fully available online as PDF), which contains material on ''You'' Chinese bronzeware History of Changsha Ningxiang Containers {{china-stub