The Shang was an aristocratic society. At the head was a king who presided over military nobility. Territorial rulers were appointed by him and compelled to support him in military endeavors. Between this aristocratic class and the commoners was a literate priestly class that kept the records of government and was responsible for divination. Shang people worshiped their ancestors and a multitude of gods, the principal of whom was known as Shang Ti, the Lord on High. A vigorous King of Chou, a state on the Wei River Valley overthrew the last Shang monarch, a cruel and debauched tyrant.

In most other regions of the world, Bronze Age artisans concentrated on the production of tools and weapons. Not so in China. Craftsmen here turned bronze castings into brilliant art. The ritual goblets, basins, and wine vessels of the Shang Dynasty, in use more than 3,000 years ago, have long been esteemed for their technical and artistic perfection. To create a bronze, early Chinese craftsmen constructed a model in wax, coated it with clay, and fired it in a kiln. The wax melted and the clay hardened, forming a mold into which the molten bronze could be poured. Typically, Shang bronzes would be cast in sections and then soldered. The designs embellishing their pieces include geometric motifs, figures of animals and demons, and representations of the human face. Later they added written inscriptions, making the Shang bronzes some of the world's earliest historical documents.