BEIJING, June 22 (Xinhaunet) -- Are you sitting comfortably watching our program? Perhaps you're sipping a nice cold drink. Have you ever wondered whether ancient people kicked back and relaxed in similar ways? A unique treasure on show at the Urban Footprint Pavilion at the World Expo may give you a hint.
This beautifully designed and fabricated Bronze Jianfou (water vessel), which was made for Marquis Yi of Zeng, is attracting lots of visitors. With countless tiny dragon motives vividly engraved and embossed on its exterior, the square vessel is very eye-catching. The eight dragon-shapes, with their back-arched and crawling up, are very lifelike.
Weighing 170 kilograms, it was used to both cool and warm wine, during the early Warring States period. It consists of a bronze "Jian" and a bronze "Fou". The "Fou" is placed inside, and a certain amount of space is left in between. Ice cubes or warm water is inserted into the space, to either warm or cool the wine inside. With the addition of ice, it becomes the perfect "cooler".
Chen Xiejun, curator of Shanghai Museum, said, "It's a wine vessel. The groove can contain both ice cubes and warm water. This "cooler" was really a luxury. From this, we deduce that some ancient people lived quite a comfortable life. It also sheds new light on Chinese wine vessels during this early period."
The Bronze Jianfou is a real masterpiece, demonstrating the brilliance and wisdom of our ancestors. As a historical footprint, it inspires creativity in what we can achieve in future.
(Source: cntv.cn)
