A ''yi'' is a shape used in ancient

Chinese ritual bronzes Sets and individual examples of ritual bronzes survive from when they were made mainly during the Chinese Bronze Age. Ritual bronzes create quite an impression both due to their sophistication of design and manufacturing process, but also beca ...

. It has the shape of half a

gourd Gourds include the fruits of some flowering plant species in the family Cucurbitaceae, particularly ''Cucurbita'' and ''Lagenaria''. The term refers to a number of species and subspecies, many with hard shells, and some without. One of the earli ...

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 Chinese bronzeware {{china-stub