Reviving Ancient Art: A New Life for a 2,600‑Year‑Old Love Token

While casually watching a short video online, I came across an introduction to the craftsmanship behind the Zijun Jiang Pan—a ritual vessel crafted over 2,600 years ago during the Spring and Autumn period. I was utterly awestruck by the intricate artistry of ancient artisans and instantly felt compelled to recreate this masterpiece.

Unfortunately, time was tight, and I couldn’t gather comprehensive documentation. All I had were rough sketches pulled from online sources—and while I did my best to model the piece based on those limited resources, I couldn’t shake the sense of regret that something was missing.

The Zijun Jiang Pan is an early Bronze Age artifact, a lavatory basin commissioned by the Grand Tutor of the State of Jin for his wife, “Zijun Jiang.”

What truly amazed me was that the 12 intricately carved animal figures within the basin would rotate in response to the gentle ripples of water—yet their supporting pivots were a mere 1.5 mm in diameter! To think that such precision was achieved more than two millennia ago is nothing short of astonishing.

This time around, my main goal was to breathe new life into these ancient forms while also introducing subtle refinements. For instance, I slightly broadened the two double-curved dragon motifs adorning the basin’s walls, transforming them into continuous, flowing water features that seem to stretch endlessly onward.

With only limited reference materials at my disposal, I relied primarily on visual renderings to create the model—though slight deviations in scale were inevitable. To accommodate the unique capabilities of my 3D printer, I enhanced certain details to ensure easier printing. Still, due to time constraints, many finer elements remained unfinished; I’ll be adding those details in stages as I have the chance.

From the very beginning of the design process, I prioritized the integrity of the replica. To minimize visible seams and maintain a clean aesthetic, I opted against a modular assembly approach and instead embraced a single-piece construction. To support the water features and enhance overall waterproofing, I chose to use water-soluble supports—though I knew it would be a bit of a gamble, given the complexity of the design. In the end, I decided to simply glue all components together using epoxy adhesive to ensure a seamless, leak‑proof finish.

It wasn’t until I completed the model that I realized the newly purchased micro submersible pump didn’t deliver sufficient flow to power both spouts. It was a bit of a letdown—but don’t forget: if you’re planning to build a similar water feature, make sure to invest in a submersible pump with a flow rate of at least 200 L/h. I’ll update the project with photos once I’ve acquired a more suitable pump…

Since submersible pumps come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, I skipped the effort of designing a dedicated pump mount. Instead, I simply used the pump’s original mounting clips and adhered them directly to the basin’s base.

If you’re looking to save time during printing, consider using triangular support structures. Once printing is complete, just remove the triangles, lightly sand the surfaces, and you’re done—after assembly, the rough edges on the back are completely hidden from view.

Installation Instructions:

First, invert the basin and align the two largest outer rings—the two most prominent slots—to serve as the water channels for the spouting dragons.

Next, flip the basin upside down and align the two retaining strips with the corresponding water channels.

1. After aligning the water channels, apply adhesive along the connecting seams and firmly press to secure the pieces in place—repeat this process for both sides of the basin.

2. Since the inner and outer arc segments experience different levels of shrinkage during printing, gaps may form between the layers. To address this, carefully fill any gaps with adhesive in multiple passes, ensuring a snug, watertight bond.

To attach the double‑curved dragons, simply cut a short length of filament and insert it into the designated slots—then secure the pieces with adhesive. Be sure to apply a generous, even layer of adhesive along the edges of the water channels to prevent leaks.

The handles can also be attached using filament strips—simply insert them into the pre‑drilled slots and secure them in place.

I had originally planned to incorporate waterfall-style water features into the handles, but time was running out, so I’ll have to add those details later.

There wasn’t enough time to implement the lighting system either—what a shame…

After that, simply assemble the remaining components in sequence.

Who would have thought that modeling would take longer than expected? Some ideas never made it into the final design, and there’s still room for improvement when it comes to fine-tuning the details. I’ll share an updated version soon—please feel free to offer your valuable feedback!

Wishing everyone happy printing—and happy gluing!