This grey tripod pottery vessel also known as 'li' (鬲), has a short flared mouth and three bulbous legs. It was handmade using coils of clay that were smoothened. The surface was then beaten with a wood paddle covered in rope, which produced the rough cord-marked texture. This helped to strengthen the walls when the pot was fired.Shang tripod vessel of the li form were thought to have taken their inspiration from neolithic ceramic pottery. They served as ritual vessels as well as 'mingqi' or burial ware made for the ruling elite to accompany them to the next world.
