Features of Bronzes by Chen Wang Heng

Depicted from Chinese Bronzes

       

        Chinese bronze-ware, one of the brightest gems in the history of world culture, boasts four distinct features.

The first is its enormous variety in kind and category. Nobody knows for sure how many kinds of bronze-ware there are in China. As a matter of fact, numerous bronze objects have yet to be identified by name or category.

        Identifying, naming and classifying bronze-ware are important processes of the study of bronze culture. Though experts do not fully agree, in general, bronze objects can be divided into twelve large categories according to their uses:

1.         food containers
2.         wine vessels
3.         water vessels
4.         musical instruments
5.         weapons
6.         horse & carriage tackle
7.         farm & work tools
8.         articles of daily use
9.         coins

10.        measuring instruments

11.        seals, tallies

12.        miscellaneous

        Each of these categories can be further divided into numerous sub-categories in terms of use, shape or design. The most important bronze objects are musical instruments and vessels for holding food, wine, and water. As the casting and function of such objects were often associated with the rituals established by the ruling class, they are also collectively called ritual implements.

        The second feature is its unusual appearance and style. China’s Bronze Age lasted well over a thousand years and throughout the many dynasties, the bronze-ware took on many variations in style. In general, bronzes made in the Shang and Western Zhou used the taotie (an animal mask of a fabulous monster) as the theme of their designs. They were strong and sturdy in built, solemn and fierce in appearance, and seem to possess a mysterious supernatural power expressed in a lofty aesthetic style.

        When Western Zhou was overthrown and the Zhou court moved to the east, royal power declined and feudal lords began fighting for supremacy. The whole country was in turmoil. With regal dignity and religious sanctity decimated, an important corresponding change occurred in the style of bronze art. In shape and workmanship, ruggedness was replaced by refinement; in design, taotie images were used less frequently and eventually disappeared. They were replaced by realistic images of humans and animals, and geometric patterns in particular increased. On the whole, the style became more elegant, less serious and easier to comprehend.

        After the Warring States period (475-221 BC), more sophisticated techniques were introduced into bronze-making, such as the in-laying of gold, silver, jade, gemstones and glazed objects, gilding, gold plating, tin coating, painting and line engraving. Bronze vessels became even more beautiful and exquisite works of art.

        The third feature is its exquisite workmanship, unquestionably the finest in the world in its time. The beauty of Chinese bronze objects was much related to the excellent casting techniques, which were the most advanced by contemporary standards. During the Shang-Zhou dynasties, bronzes were usually cast in split moulds, a method that made it easier to cast large objects. Piercing moulds together required great skill, as a slight deviation could cause defects in the product. The four-ram square wine vessel was also cast from split moulds. Its workmanship was of such high quality, without defect, that for a long time, many people believed it was made by the lost-wax technique, which is even more advanced than the split-mould method. Lost-wax casting was first used to make bronze weapons during the Spring and Autumn period. The wine vessel with cloud patterns, called jin, unearthed from the tomb of Prince Wu, acclaimed for its delicate carving and intricate floral designs, was cast using this method. Bronze-ware progressed further in the Warring States period when gold inlay, gold plate and other inlays were widely used.

        The fourth feature is its rich connotations. Ancient Chinese bronzes were symbols of the institutional and spiritual cultures of the Chinese slave society. The political, religious and philosophical influx of China from remote antiquity to the age of tool-making are represented in bronzes. In many instances, the shapes and designs of bronze-ware were based on ancient Chinese religions and myths, indicating their close ties with primitive religions. Moreover, a major portion of Chinese bronze-ware consisted of ritual vessels, and the so-called rites were merely institutions established by the ruling class to control the common people and regulate their own internal relations. Bronze ritual vessels attained their important positions in human life precisely because they were symbols of feudal rites.

        Thus, in bronze-ware we find many aspects of the material, institutional and spiritual cultures of Bronze Age society. Bronze objects, in a certain way was a mirror of their time and works of art, with such rich and profound connotations, are rare in the history of the world culture.