This drinking vessel known as the 'jia', together with the 'gu' beaker and another tripod vessel, the 'jue' formed a basic set for wine drinking during the Shang (1600-1027 BCE) and Zhou (1027-256 BCE) dynasties. The jia was used for warming wine. The Shang people were believed to have indulged in drinking so much so that the Zhou attributed the former's downfall to alcoholism.
