This green-glazed tripod served as burial ware or ‘mingqi'. The body and lid of the tripod is moulded in imitation of an archaic bronze shape. The body has a deep bowl with three solid legs fully glazed on the exterior except for the base of the feet. It is unadorned with a horizontal flange all around and two thick L-shaped handles are attached to the body's rim. The lid has a shallow dome with a lightly moulded decoration.The practice of using lead-glazed burial wares had already started during the Han dynasty and it continued into the Ming period (1368-1644). The custom of burying objects with the deceased stems from the belief in life after death.
