Ritual vessel and lid, porcelain with moulded relief decoration under a deep blue glaze. Made for use at the Temple of Heaven, Beijing. Moulded after the style of the ancient bronze dou with domed foot and cylindrical stem encircled by a rib, both hollow, supporting a basin with curved, upright sides; unglazed rims with a black dressing, and a hemispherical cover with handle in the form of two linked loops of cord.

In moulded relief under the glaze are designs in archaistic style comprising lotus panels on the foot, mask-like motives on a key-fret ground on the stem, and lozenge diaper below a key-fret border on the basin; with a rounded key-fret border below a band of wave pattern on the cover. The cover is probably not the original one for this vessel.