The decanter in the Calgary Chinese Cultural Centre collection is a two-piece sculptural vessel, decorated with dragon and bird patterns. Bronze Decanter in the Shape of an Animal charactarizes several animals relevant to Chinese culture and history. As recognized in Chinese Bronze Ware: A Mirror of Culture, dragons are worshipped throughout Chinese fables and legends, and often symbolize their divinity as gods of water. The bronze animal head is an artistic representation of a Ram. During the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC) it was very common for bronze vessels to be depicted as an ambiguous animal, however the head would resemble a ram. Ram and sheep are quite significant within Chinese culture, as they are one of the twelve animals represented in Chinese zodiac. 

卡城中華文化中心收藏的後母辛觥是一個兩件式的雕塑容器，容器表面飾有龍和鳥的圖案。後母辛觥描繪了幾種與中國文化和歷史相關的動物。正如《中國青銅器：文化之鏡》中所描述的那樣，龍在中國寓言和傳說中受到崇拜，通常被象徵為為水神。後母辛觥的頭其實是公羊的頭。在商朝（公元前 1600-1046 年），青銅器被描繪成一種模棱兩可的動物是很常見的，但頭的部份則大多是公羊。由於羊是中國十二生肖之一，公羊和綿羊在中國文化中皆是非常重要。