An envoy claimed that these objects matter less than virtue after a king insolently asked about their weight and size. The caches of these objects found in the 19th century are thought to have been buried by nobles fleeing west from “barbarians” who worshiped dog totems. The Basic Annals claim that a group of these objects was reduced in number from nine to eight when a king captured them and accidentally (-5[1])dropped one in a river. (15[1])A 2022 (15[3])study revealed the mix of jin and xi used in a (*) recipe for these objects from the Artificers’ Record. (10[1])These objects typically feature a zoomorphic design (-5[1])later identified with the gluttonous (10[1])evil spirit tāotiè (10[1])(“tao-t’YEH”). The most prestigious of these (10[1])objects often had two handles and three legs. (10[3])For 10 points, Shang and Zhou kings were buried with what ornate ritual vessels, also called dǐng, (-5[1])during China’s (-5[1])“age” named for their material? ■END■ (10[4])