[1][2][3] A zun vessel, prominently used during the Shang and early Zhou dynasty, is primarily used for storing wine, with a wide opening for drinking.

Its head is raised upward, its chest protruding forward, and its wings are folded.

[3] Written onto the vessels are the archaic characters of Fu Hao, the owner of the tomb, wife of Shang Dynasty leader Wu Ding.

[1] It is believed, based on artistic depictions, that the owl was a prominent "totem" of the Shang dynasty, with depictions placed on the burial artifacts of its rulers, and that superstitions of owls being seen as a bad omen was largely implemented during the Zhou dynasty.

[2] Owls are called xiao (枭) or chixiao (鸱鸮), and are often interpreted as supernatural figures, with its reputation waxing and waning based upon the ruling dynasty, whether as a predator of rats, in times when grain agriculture was valued, or harbingers of bad omens.