Portrait of Yi Yin

A woodcut portrait depicts Yi Yin, a famous minister of the Shang Dynasty. He is shown from the chest up, wearing traditional scholar-official robes with a high collar. He has a prominent forehead, a mustache, and a long goatee. His hair is tied in a topknot with an ornamental hairpiece. He carries a tripod vessel, known as a ding tripod cooking vessel, slung over his shoulder. This symbolizes his legendary origins as a chef before he became a sage-minister.