This extremely rare and delicate glazed terracotta would have been used as a wine vessel. The tip is moulded with the head of a horned buffalo with its snout turned skyward and the sides moulded with four trotting legs. The rim incorporates a moulded band of rope and the cup has an overall green glaze.

The rhyton was a drinking vessel originally made from ox or buffalo horn, which was introduced into China through Central and Western Asia. Rhytons appeared in China as early as the Han dynasty and were made in a variety of materials, including pottery, glass and silver. It appears that in the 7th and early 8th century, rhyton cups inspired by metalware prototypes were particularly fashionable.