lutong formative moments: walking in on your shishu and shibo making out, realising you might not be homophobic but you actually just hate it when other people touch your shishu

bonus

Ritual food cauldron with serpents and taotie

China, Luoyang, Henan province

Early Western Zhou dynasty, ca. 1050-975 BCE

Bronze

Purchase   F1950.7

Clearly visible on one of this vessel's long sides is a cast inscription that records events associated with a key figure in early Zhou history: the Grand Protector or "Taibao," Duke Shi of Shao. Since this fangding mentions the Taibao's role in creating commemorative cauldrons dedicated to Wu and Cheng, the first two Zhou kings, it was probably made during the reign of the third king, Kang. A scribe or chronicler named Da must have somehow assisted the Taibao in this or another effort. According to the inscription, he received a white horse for his service. The full text reads:

The [Grand Protector] came from casting the King Wu and King Cheng yiding. On the day jichou in the second quarter of the fourth month, the [Grand Protector] awarded Recorder Da a white horse; Da extolled august Heaven's assistant the Grand Protector's grace, and made for his deceased Grandfather Ding this treasured, sacrificial vessel. [Family/clan sign]