Tube, one of a pair, 11th century BCE, 8 1/16 × 1 5/16 × 1 1/8 in., lb. ( × × cm, kg), Bronze, China, 11th century BCE, These tubular objects would have functioned as components of a chariot. During China’s Bronze Age, a chariot not only served as a vehicle but a symbol of wealth and power—they were always buried with the deceased kings and nobles. For this reason, chariot components were exquisitely designed and often decorated with the same motifs seen on ritual bronze vessels. In these examples, broad strips divide the tubes’ decoration into four sections.

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