Brazier

The brazier would have held an oval cup with flanges, called an ear cup. To warm the wine in the ear cup, coals would have been placed underneath the brazier, with a tray to catch the ashes. The Animals of the Four Directions are: Red Bird of the South (zhuque); Dark Warrior of the North (xuanwu), made up of an entwined tortoise and snake; Green Dragon of the East (qinglong); and White Tiger of the West (baihu). They are auspicious images and also might provide a navigational compass for the celestial journey. They were used to decorate luxury goods, such as the brazier shown here.