The main scene on this 'wucai' (five colour) baluster vase depicts three men kneeling in front of a seated official, presenting him a boot, an ewer and a wine vessel. The boot suggests the official has been granted power to invade or rule territories. The other two men in the scene are offering to pour wine into the vessel known as 'jue', and serve it to the seated official. This act of serving wine in a jue connotes 'jiaguan jinjue', which means 'promotion for the well-respected official'. According to historical sources such as the Shang jun shu, presenting a jue to an official celebrates his promotion to the status of an Earl.
