Minneapolis Institute of Art

Yan steamer

T'ien Nung

Date

11th century BCE

Medium

Bronze

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

The yan is a bronze steamer used mainly for cooking grain. It consists of two parts: a zeng, the upper bowl with a pierced base, and a li, the lower vessel that holds water. In this example, both parts are cast as a single unit. When heated, water in the lower section produces steam to cook food above. The yan first appeared in the late Shang dynasty (c. 1300–1046 bce) and remained popular through the Western Zhou and early Spring and Autumn periods. China, Asia

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