Yi (vessel)

An yi in the collections of the Shanghai Museum.

Yi
Chinese	匜
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin yí Wade–Giles i2 Middle Chinese Middle Chinese *laj

A yi is a shape used in ancient Chinese ritual bronzes. It has the shape of half a gourd with a handle (often in the shape of a dragon) and usually supported by four legs. It is believed it was used to contain water for washing hands before rituals like sacrifices.

References

• http://arts.cultural-china.com/en/30Arts2067.html
• http://arts.cultural-china.com/en/30Arts2015.html

External links

• The great bronze age of China: an exhibition from the People's Republic of China, an exhibition catalog from The Metropolitan Museum of Art (fully available online as PDF), which contains material on yi