Bronze Zun in the shape of an elephant

Shang dynasty, 16th - 11th century B.C.
Hunan Provincial Museum, Changsha

Another remarkable bronze from the Hunan museum is this elephant-shaped zun; it is a wine vessel, and the wine flows from the elephant's trunk. The vessel's surface is richly decorated. The tip of its trunk is a phoenix head facing forward, and a tiger head facing backward, according to the museum website. the vessel's body is covered with designs of phoenix, tiger, and taotie.