The present vessel is based on a celebrated late Shang, 12^th-11^th century BC bronze gong from the collection of Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer that entered the collection of the Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC in 1961 (acc. no. F1961.33a-b). (Fig. 1) The elaborate surface decoration of dragons, birds, tigers, elephants, snakes and humans on the current vessel is quite faithful to the Shang prototype, but with a few creative additions, such as the small human head carved in relief on the lower body of the vessel between the two front supports.