Pottery He-Vessel

The pottery he, a vessel for warming up wine, was a typical vessel of the Erlitou culture of the Xia Dynasty. A large number of such vessels were found in the Sanxingdui and Jinsha sites. Archaeologists presumed the he vessel originated from central China, but ancient Shu people made some alterations of its shape: They added three legs, a handle and a spout to the small jar with a flat base, the most common vessel in the ancient Shu culture, and developed this he vessel, which was similar to its counterpart of the Erlitou culture but also had its own characteristics. This he vessel disappeared after the early period of Jinsha culture.