Covered Ewer, 4th century BCE, 7 7/8 x 7 1/8 in. (20 x 18.1 cm) (a: ewer)1 x 3 5/8 in. (2.54 x 9.21 cm) (b: lid), Stoneware with impressed and applied decor under a light yellow-green glaze, China, 4th century BCE, This stoneware vessel is a relatively direct imitation of a type of bronze wine ewer called hu. The ceramic served as a substitute in the tomb for contemporary objects made of more precious materials like bronze and lacquer. Works made expressly for entombment with the dead are known as ming qi in China. Generally, these wares were unsuitable for daily use. A wide variety of bronze shapes including ding tripods, basins, hu storage jars, bells, weights, and ewers like this one were produced during the Warring States period (475-221 BCE).