Bronze in the shape of a bird with embossed decoration imitating taotie. Height 19 cms. Chinese ritual bronze sets are the most impressive objects from the Chinese Bronze Age. These vessels were probably deposited as grave goods in the tombs of royalty and nobility. There are documented excavations in which more than 200 items were found in a single tomb. According to some experts, the Chinese Bronze Age began with the Xia dynasty (circa 2070 - circa 1600 BC), reaching its peak during the Shang dynasty (1600-1046 BC) and the beginning of the Zhou dynasty (1045-256 BC). The "Zun" or "yin" were ritual bronze vessels for wine, which at the end of the "Zhōu" dynasty were made in the shape of animals, completely abandoning their traditional shape.