A early bronze footed ladle, called a Yi, probably from the Western Zhou Dynasy, (26 cm long).  A Yi was a bronze vessel used for pouring water to wash hands, mainly on a banquet or before a sacrificial ritual. "Yi" is an archaic term for a ladle for pouring water when washing one's hands. It was derived from a type of drinking vessel called "he". "Yi" first appeared in the mid-Western Zhou Dynasty and was widely used in the late Western Zhou Dynasty and the Spring and Autumn Period. The yi ladles of the Spring and Autumn Period were oval-shaped, with an opening in the front and a basin at the back; some had a lid; most "yi" had four legs, with some having three legs or no leg at all.