拍品专文
The gu is the quintessential vessel type in Shang ritual paraphernalia, and together with a jue or jiao it forms the basic wine vessel set for aristocrats to perform rites. The higher the rank of the aristocrat, the greater number of gu-jue/jiao vessel sets. Gu were one of the most important vessels used in Shang ritual practices, attested to by the inclusion of fifty-three in the tomb of Fu Hao. The present gu is associated with the 'mature' style of gu from 13th to 11th century BC, which all exhibit the same distinctive structure and the same decorative format of motifs.