Definitions
wine container
Etymology
Pictograph of a type of wine vessel shaped like a gourd with a base on the bottom.
About
The character 卣 depicts a specific ancient Chinese ritual wine vessel, characterized by its pot-like body, fitted lid, and swinging handle. This ideographic character was originally a direct pictograph of the vessel itself, outlining its distinct form rather than combining separate semantic and phonetic elements. Although the physical objects were no longer used in rituals after the early dynastic periods, the character remained in written language to denote these historical bronze artifacts in antiquarian texts, archaeological records, and classical poetry referencing ancient libation ceremonies.
Etymology Hide
