He zun
| He zun | |
|---|---|
| Material | Bronze |
| Size | 38.8 cm tall, 28.8 cm in diameter |
| Weight | 14.6 kg |
| Created | 1038 BCE – c. 1000 BCE |
| Discovered | 1963 Baoji, Shaanxi, China 34°21′47″N 107°14′17″E / 34.363°N 107.238°E |
The He zun (Chinese: 何尊) is an ancient Chinese ritual bronze vessel of the zun shape. It dates from the era of Western Zhou (1046–771 BC), specifically the early years of the dynasty, and is famous as the oldest artifact with the written characters meaning "Middle Kingdom" or "Central State" — 中國: "China" — in a bronze inscription on the container. Today it is in the Baoji Bronzeware Museum in Shaanxi.