Visions of Chinese ancient tableware.

In ancient Chinese legend, there is a creature famous for its endless appetite. It is called Tao Tie. No one knows exactly what it looked like, but its large eyes and animal-like face often appeared on bronze vessels from the Shang and Zhou periods. At the Jiangxi Provincial Museum's special exhibition, it has been turned into a rather cute guide named Tao Xiaotie. So let's follow it and find out how did people in ancient China eat thousands of years ago. This story about food does not begin at a dining table. It begins with a lump of clay. During the Neolithic period, people gradually moved from caves into settled villages, where they grew grain and built a more stable way of life. But this created several practical questions. How could food be stored, cooked, or served? Pottery jars held water, larger pots stored or cooked food, and cooking vessels could be placed over a fire. This raised vessel, called a dou, was used for serving food. They look simple, but together these vessels formed an early kitchen and dining table. In the Bronze Age, vessels became stronger, heavier, and more elaborate. But valuable bronze vessels were not only used for eating. During the Xia, Shang, and Zhou periods, they were closely connected with feasts, rituals, and ancestral ceremonies. What people ate from could also reveal their social position. So what was needed for a feast 3,000 years ago? First, we need a kitchen. The bronze yan worked like an ancient steamer. Water was heated below, while food was cooked by steam above. The bronze li had three hollow, pout-shaped legs and could be placed directly over a fire to boil grain or meat. But before the guests sat down, they had to wash their hands. The bronze yi poured water while the pan caught it below. Rather like a portable washbasin, the larger jian was used to hold water. Then came the wine vessels. The li and you held wine while the jue and jia were also closely connected with wine and ritual ceremonies. So a Bronze Age feast required a kitchen, a hand-washing area, and almost a complete bar. Now the food can finally be served. The raised bronze dou helped sauces, pickled vegetables, and other dishes. The dun and fu were mainly used for grain. The most important pair was the din and the gui. The din held meat, while the gui was mainly used for grains such as millet. But people could not display as many of them as they liked. During the Western Zhou period, din and gui vessels often appeared in sets. People of different ranks were allowed to use different numbers. This was known as the Lie Ding system. As an important ritual feast, a guest might not need to introduce himself. The vessels in front of him could already review his position. They were tableware but also a seating chart cast in bronze. On this visit, I followed Tao Xiaotie through the first two sections of the exhibition. From a lump of neolithic clay to a grand bronze feast of the Xia, Shang, and Zhou periods. Food vessels have never been just containers. They also hold stories of how people lived, how they interacted with one another, and how they understood their place in the world. So the next time you pick up an ordinary bowl, perhaps take another look. Behind it, there may be a very long story.