Compiled from Origins of Chinese Art and Craft & Chinese Bronzes
Bronzes
were indispensable to the ancient Chinese in their ritual practices such as
offering sacrifice to deities and ancestors, and praying for favourable
weather. That was also why some of them were known as ‘ritual vessels’. Based
on their differing usages, Chinese bronzes can be divided into food vessels,
wine vessels, musical instruments, weapons, farming implements and
miscellaneous articles.
1.
Food Vessels
Common
bronzes include ding, dou, gui, zeng, li,
pan and dui.
Ding was a
cauldron-like vessel used for cooking or storing meat. It may be three-legged
or four-legged, and also the most common and most mysterious ‘ritual vessel’.
As time passed, its original function as food vessels was reduced and its
symbolic function as an emblem of state power was highlighted.
Simuwu
rectangular ding is the largest and
also the heaviest bronze object unearthed so far. It is the king in the realm
of ding. It is 875kg in weight, 133cm
in height and 110cm in length. It was cast by Emperor Wen of the Shang Dynasty
in memory of his mother. Dou is a small vessel designed specially for storing pickles, minced
meat and sauces. Gui is a large
bowl-liked food vessel.
 |
Dahe square ding
|
 |
Yu gui
|
Yan is
a steamer. The upper part for holding the food is called zeng while the lower part for holding water is termed ge. Ge is also used for cooking
porridge. Dui functions very much like gui. As it’s also used for holding food, it usually comes with a
lid. Pan
is a water vessel. Bronze pan appeared
in the early Shang Dynasty and became popular during the late part of the
dynasty. Guo Ji Zi pan is the biggest
unearthed thus far. This big pan, San
Shi pan and Mao Gong ding are collectively called the ‘Three
Major Bronze Vessels of the Western Zhou Dynasty’. Dui is used for storing
food made from millet, rice and sorghum.
2.
Wine Vessels
A
Chinese saying says that ‘rituals can’t be carried out without wine.’ Bronze
wine vessels are an integral part of ancient China’s ritual vessels. Bronze
vessels like jue, gu, zhi, jia and gong can be used for pouring and
drinking wine. Bronze vessels for holding wine include mainly zun, you, fang, yi, lei and he. Jue, which appeared in
the Xia Dynasty, is China’s
earliest bronze ritual vessel. Jue and
gu form a simple pair of wine
vessels. Heavenly gu and dragon jue are both wine vessels used in the
early Western Zhou period. A Chinese idiom reads, ‘One cannot use gu randomly for drinking’, implying that
the number of gu one has related to
one’s status, integrity and drinking capacity. Only a high-ranking man was
entitled to use this type of wine vessel.
 |
Zizheng jue
|
 |
Gu
|
Zun and
you
are both exalted wine vessels. The phrase ‘zun gui’ (honourable/respected) is said to originate from this
vessel. The square Zun with four
sheep was cast in the late Shang Dynasty. It is the largest zun discovered in China so far.
Four sheep facing four dragons are carved on the vessel, a perfect embodiment
of the noble spirit possessed by this wine vessel.
 |
Zhegong
|
3. Musical Instruments
Many
kinds of bronze musical instruments have been unearthed in China. The
earliest were bronze bells. Bronze bells with petal patterns were cast in the
late Shang Dynasty. The original bell was 12.12cm in height, and its clapper
10.3cm long. Shaped like a trumpet, it has an upper hold, four petals and a
clapper hanging inside. Other bronze musical instruments include nao, zheng, bo and chun. Bian zhong or a chime of bells, which prevailed during the
Spring and Autumn Period, were a very important type of ancient Chinese musical
instruments. Placed on a wooden rack from the smaller to the bigger, these
bronze bells are capable of producing clear and penetrating sounds. The best known
set of bells was unearthed from the mausoleum of Marquis Yi of Zeng who had
them cast about 2,400 years ago. They are the largest chime of bells ever
discovered in China,
and they can produce a wide range of sounds on a grand scale. They are famed as
the ‘King of Bronze Bells’.
4. Weapons
‘The
major state affairs consist of offering sacrifices to deities and ancestors,
and in waging wars.’ Bronze ritual vessels and weapons appeared almost
simultaneously in the Xia Dynasty. Bronze weapons include battle-axe, dagger,
sword, dagger-axe, lance and halberd.
Dagger-axe:
As
one of the unique Chinese bronze weapons, it was widely used during the Shang
and Zhou Dynasties. It evolved out of farming tools.
Lance:
A
thrusting weapon that prevailed during the Western Zhou Dynasty and the Spring
and Autumn Period.
Halberd:
A
highly effective weapon made by mounting the danger-axe on the upper end of the
lance, it was capable of thrusting and hooking.
Battleaxe:
This
was the most common weapon used for cutting.
Sword:
Often
used for defending oneself, and also for stabbing and chopping. During the Han
Dynasty, iron swords became popular and took the place of bronze ones.
5. Farming
Implements
Major bronze farming tools are shovels and
adzes for reclaiming land.
6. Miscellaneous
Bronzes
Besides the above major categories, there
were also other bronze objects for daily domestic use. Bronze mirrors
originated from the Qijia Culture which existed in China 4000 years ago. Bronze
mirrors made at that time were very rough. By the Warrring States Period and
the Western and Eastern Han Dynasties, mirror-making technologies had improved
significantly. People also started to cast all kinds of designs and patterns on
mirrors. Other daily bronze objects included incense
burners, staff heads, bronze coins, combs, figures and facial masks.
