Bronze Hejin Cup

Hejin Cup

Western Han Dynasty (206BC-24AD)

Bronze

11.2 cm tall

Collected at Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

In 1968 two tombs were found in present-day Mancheng County in Hebei province. The first undisturbed royal Western Han tombs ever discovered, they belong to the prince Liu Sheng (165-113 BC), who was a son of Emperor Jing Di, and Liu Sheng's wife Dou Wan.

Unearthed in the tomb of Dou Wan, this bronze hejin cup is decorated with a bird that expands its wings and has a jade cup in its mouth and an imaginary beast below its feet. It’s the wedding memento of the prince Liu Sheng and his wife Dou Wan.

Editor: Dong Jirong