This vessel, called a gu in Chinese, was made during the Shang dynasty, the first historical dynasty of China, probably in the capital Anyang. Its surface is decorated with taotie, a bulgy-eyed zoomorphic mask motif commonly found on Shang dynasty bronzes. Gu were communal drinking goblets used during traditional rites for the ancestors celebrated by members of the royal family. These vessels were kept in temples, or buried in graves to denote the status and prestige of the dead. They were originally golden in colour, but oxidise to green when buried.