Early Western Zhou Dynasty, 10th century BC The vessel of oval section fitted with a pair of loops attached to the arched handle ending with animal-mask terminals, cast in shallow relief on each side with a pair of kui dragons confronting an animal mask, all reserved on a leiwen band between two rows of circles, the cover similarly decorated beneath a segmented finial, both the inner body and cover cast with an eight-character inscription reading Menge Shou zuo fuyi zunyi, the surface with light malachite and cuprite encrustations. 30cm (11 6/8in) high. (2).