Bronze Jian with a Chain

Bronze would appear to be golden red when it was newly cast. Red was considered a lucky color so bronze was also named “Ji Jin”(lucky metal). Bronze was used by aristocrats in the Pre-Qin Period and they were delicately designed and decorated.

This Jian is a water container. The name Jian also means mirror, because when newly made the inside surface is very smooth and can be used as a mirror. There is a Chinese phrase: use history as a mirror, meaning that our history is like a mirror, from which we can learn about our own shortcomings.