The gui is a vessel for holding grains such as millet and rice and for warming food. An important ritual vessel, it was often used together with a cauldron or ding. This one has a wide mouth, nipped-in neck and deep belly that extending down to a ring foot sitting on a square base. It has two semi-circular animal head handles, with extending above the rim and rectangular earrings hanging below. The body and base have a thunder pattern design decorated with animal faces with scrolled horns, circular protruding eyes and open mouths; at the top centre of each face is the face of a sacrificial animal. On the base there is a one-legged dragon on each side of the animal face design and a cicada design on the corner. The ring foot has pairs of facing one-legged dragons separated by flanges.

On the inside of the base is a four-lines, 32 characters inscription of great historical importance recording the campaigns of King Wu against the Shang, from the early triumphs when the Zhou seized power. It is the earliest Western Zhou bronze found to date. (Su Qiang)