Hong Kong Palace Museum |

Zun-vessel with flared mouth and ring foot

Zun-vessels with flared mouths and ring feet are representative artefacts of the Baodun culture. Flat-bottomed and ring-footed vessels are two prevalent types of Baodun pottery, most of them with wide rims and flared mouths, while round-bottomed and tripodal vessels are not found. In the early period of Baodun culture, ornamentation was more sophisticated, varied, and exquisite. In the late Baodun culture, the number of flared-mouth and ring-footed vessels decreased, while containers typical of the Sanxingdui culture, such as jars with small, flat bottoms, gradually supplanted the earlier forms. This is indicative of the transition from the Baodun culture to the Sanxingdui culture.