The two-thousand-year-long Bronze Age of China was the great construction of the ceremonial system at the beginning of Chinese civilization. They are bronze and they are kings. It seems to have returned, but it has not been far away... Recently, the Hunan Provincial Museum launched the "Return of the King - Ancient Chinese Bronze Parade" as a bronze exhibition, bringing together more than 10 cultural and cultural institutions of 280 bronze heavy objects, including the National Museum of China, Hunan Provincial Museum, Sichuan Guanghan Sanxingdui Museum and other bronze treasures. From the exhibition, the audience can glimpse the solemn elegance of the Shang Zhou bronzes and the inheritance and changes of the bronzes from the Han to the Ming and Qing dynasties.
Return of the King - Ancient Chinese Bronze Parade
The Chinese Bronze Age was a glorious and unique era. In this era, bronze ware was widely used in all aspects of social life. The body of the instrument is solemn and elegant, the shape of the instrument is varied, and the ornamentation is strange and magnificent. What is particularly important is that the inscription of the bronze is majestic and the body is solemn, recording the sacrifice of the Son of Heaven, the granting of the land to the king, the exchange of princes, the expansion of the territory and other major national events, which are mutually corroborated with the literature and classics.
We can also see the direct application of bronze ceremonial vessels and weapons in the Shang and Zhou ritual systems and participation in national politics: the ancients used bronze to sacrifice ancestral gods, built a system of ritual music, distinguished between the inferior and the inferior, and used bronze weapons to maintain order. The bronze ware witnessed the great construction of order at the beginning of Chinese civilization and laid the foundation of the ceremonial system of China's imperial society for the next three thousand years.
Showroom scene
After the end of the Bronze Age, bronzes and the patriarchal and ritual culture they represent still occupy an important position in Chinese society. The bronze casting process continues to move forward.
From the Han Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty, bronze ware extended the daily function, and at the same time widely used new technologies such as inlay technology and large and small welding, and developed new characteristics in line with the trend of the era of great national integration. The Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties have reproduced the "three generations" of the ritual music system, and the imperial court has cast a large number of antique bronze ware to complete the sacrifice system. Combined with the "bladder copper method" copper smelting, enamel and other new processes to cast a light and beautiful new bronze, the plastic arts, practical life, time of the concept into the bronze boutique, to promote the development of bronze to a new height.
The exhibition is divided into four parts: "The Time of the King", "The Great Event of the Country", "Under the Temple" and "Classical Afterglow".
Part I: The Age of kings
The "Age of the King" shows that with the development of casting processes such as the Hefan Method, bronze ceremonial vessels have become increasingly standardized and large-scale, and by the time of the Shang Zhou Dynasty, they have become an establishment, which is not only the rise of the "Bronze Age", but also an important stage in the gradual formation of Chinese social rituals and rituals. In the early Western Zhou Dynasty, the patriarchal system, the feudal system (sub-feudal system), the ritual music system and the well field system were developed, and the King of Zhou was the co-lord of the world, and the five-level title of "Gonghou Bozi male" was formed in turn, and the stable structure of "home-country isomorphism" took shape.
Bronzes embody and document these systems in practical use. In the middle and late Western Zhou Dynasty and the Spring and Autumn Warring States period, the power of Zhou Tianzi gradually weakened, "there is no way under the world, and the Lile conquest comes from the princes." It is not uncommon for princes to use ceremonial utensils and utensils. The princely states developed bronzes with local artistic characteristics, and there was a resurgence of bronze smelting and casting.
Animal Face Pattern Single Pillar Jue - Drinking rituals In the early Shang Dynasty, it was 17.9 cm tall and 15.8 cm long
Fang Ding of the Human Face - a treasure combining royal power and theocracy In the late Shang Dynasty, it was 38.5 cm high, 29.3 cm long and 23.7 cm wide In 1959, it was excavated from the Yellow Zhaizi Mountain in Ningxiang County (now Ningxiang City) in Hunan Province
The whole of the ding is based on the pattern of cloud thunder, and the four sides of the wall are decorated with high relief human face ornaments; the inner wall of the abdomen is cast with the inscription "Dahe". It is the only bronze fangding in the current Excavated Shang Zhou bronzes decorated with a human face pattern as the theme. Ding has always been a symbol of state power, and the combination of the human face and the beast body embodies the combination of royal power and divine power. Its special decoration also reflects the unique ideology and ritual style of the ancient Yangtze River Basin civilization.
Sanxingdui Bronze Human Head - Enigmatic Man Late Shang Dynasty Height 41.5 cm, horizontal diameter 20 cm, longitudinal diameter 17.3 cm Sanxingdui site No. 2 sacrifice pit excavated Sichuan Guanghan Sanxingdui Museum collection
The Sanxingdui site in Guanghan City, Sichuan Province, is known as one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of mankind in the 20th century, and is the largest, longest-lasting and most culturally rich ancient city, ancient kingdom and ancient Shu cultural site found in the southwest region so far, with a history of 5,000 to 3,000 years. The excavation of the site shows that the Yangtze River Basin, like the Yellow River Basin, belongs to the matrix of Chinese civilization and is known as the "source of yangtze River civilization". Among the thousands of cultural relics unearthed from the Sanxingdui Sacrifice Pit, the bronze mask and the Liren can be called a "clear stream", not only "clear bones", but also with a mysterious sense of crossing.
(lù) "Gui - A Record of the Rituals and Systems of the Zhou Dynasty In the middle of the Western Zhou Dynasty, it was 19.5 centimeters high, 22 centimeters in diameter, and 6.5 centimeters in height, and was excavated from Baoji City, Shaanxi Province
Animal pattern Ti Liang Jie - "King Of The Three Kings" Spring and Autumn Tong height 50 cm, caliber 24.4 cm, abdominal diameter 38 cm In 1988, the Red Stone of Hengyang City, Hunan Province was excavated from the Collection of Hengyang City Museum
Wrong gold and silver gilded cloud pattern Ding - years flow gold Warring States height 21 cm, caliber 16 cm Collection Of the National Museum of China
Part II: The Great Affairs of the Nation
Ritual (sacrifice) and war are major events in the politics of states, kingdoms, and even dynasties. The second part, "The Great Affair of the Nation", shows through a series of artifacts that reflect sacrifices and conquests that "ceremonies" and "soldiers" were the main functions of early bronzes.
Since the Beginning of the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, the "Column Ding System" and the "Music Hanging System" with Ding and Zhong as the core ceremonial instruments have been gradually established, which has influenced China's imperial political system for more than 2,000 years. Even if the function of bronze ware in later generations continues to expand, bronze ware still has institutional and cultural significance beyond the artifacts.
Bronze Axe [jiǎ] Late Shang Dynasty Height 66.5 cm, caliber 30.7 cm, weight 20.5 kg Excavated in 1976 from the tomb of Yin Ruins in Anyang, Henan, the Collection of the National Museum of China
The axe was used by ancient Chinese ancestors to warm wine, and was also used as a ceremonial vessel, after the King of Shang Tang defeated Xia Jie, the axe was designated as the wine cup for the royal family, and the princes used horns. The wine vessel is one of the earliest ceremonial vessels in ancient China, the so-called "ceremony is made of wine". It is recorded in the literature that the copper axe is used to perform the guàn ceremony and can also filter wine, and the double pillar may be used to hang the wine filter net. The vessel is large in size and has an inscription cast on the inner wall under the mouth rim. Judging from the inscription, this object should be the special name of the female official who managed a certain sacrifice in the palace of the Shang Dynasty.
This artifact was excavated from the Tomb of the Lady of Yin Ruins in Anyang, Henan Province, and is the only tomb found by archaeology that can be used to corroborate the characters in the oracle bones of the Shang Dynasty. She was the wife of Wu Ding, the Shang King, and the earliest known female general in China. According to the records of the oracle bones, she presided over the royal sacrifices on behalf of the Shang King many times, and led the army to conquer the Fang kingdoms such as Yi, Qiang, and Tu, and made outstanding achievements in battle. This special status can be well reflected in the burial items of the tomb of the woman. A total of 1928 burial items were unearthed from the tomb of Women's Good. Among them, there are 468 bronzes (not counting small copper bubbles, etc.), 755 jades, 63 stone tools, 47 gemstone products, 564 bone ware, 5 ivory ware, 11 pottery, and 15 mussel ware. In addition, there are 2 pieces of red snails and more than 6820 pieces of cargo shells. The tomb is like an underground treasure house, showing the world the royal style of the Yin Shang period.
Hollow human face pattern - ancient majestic meme Late Shang Dynasty Length 31.8 cm, width 35.7 cm Excavated in 1965 in Subu Tun, Yidu County (now Qingzhou City), Shandong Province, the Collection of the National Museum of China
The axe developed from the axe, and there is a record in ancient texts that "钺, the great axe also, a heavenly axe". In the pre-Qin period, the bronze cymbal had important ceremonial significance and was a weapon with the nature of a scepter. During the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, the bronze cymbal was a symbol of authority and force, and only high-ranking nobles could be buried with it. Cymbal has different uses on different occasions: when used in military activities, it is used as a symbol of military command; when used in ceremonial activities, it also has the role of an honor guard. This bronze cymbal is huge, and on both sides is carved the shape of a human face with an angry mouth, and the eyebrows, eyes, ears, nose, and mouth are protruding, like a majestic emoji.
Elephant pattern animal face pattern large - "King of Cymbal" Late Shang Dynasty Height 103.5 cm, Yong length 36.3 cm, milling width 69.4 cm, weight 221.5 kg In 1983, Ningxiang County (now Ningxiang City) Huangcai Town, Hunan Province, Yueshan Township Zhuan Erlun excavated Changsha Museum Collection
The cymbal is an ancient percussion instrument. Zhou Li youyun: "The golden hammer stops the drum." "Beginning with a drum and ending with a drum is the most grand ritual in the sacrifice, the feast, and the march. Hunan is the main discovery of large copper cymbals, and more than 40 pieces of copper cymbals have been excavated, of which about 10 pieces weigh more than 100 kilograms, such a huge volume of cymbals is rare elsewhere. When excavated, they were almost always mouth-up, low-lying, and mostly found alone. Some experts speculate that the cymbal is likely to be a special ceremonial vessel used as a sacrifice to the gods of the mountains and rivers. This instrument is the largest volume of copper cymbals seen in the Shang Dynasty, and is known as the "King of Cymbals".
"Heavenly Death" Gui - Remembering the heavy weapon of the Wu King's cutting of the Early Western Zhou Dynasty Height 24.2 cm, caliber 21 cm Excavated in Mei County, Shaanxi Province during the Light Years of the Qing Dynasty The Collection of the National Museum of China
The bronze grate and bronze ding are the core of the bronze ceremonial vessels of the Shang and Zhou dynasties. Bronze gui is mainly used to hold cooked grains such as millet, millet, rice, and sorghum. Its effect is equivalent to the large bowl we use today, and people use tools to eat from the guise. In the Shang And Zhou ritual system, bronze gui was usually used in conjunction with the odd combination of lieding in combination with the odd number during sacrifices and feasts, such as the Tianzi with nine dings and eight gui, the princes seven dings and six gui, the five dings and four gui of the doctor, and the three dings and two gui of the yuanshi. The most valuable thing about the Heavenly Death Is that the inscription on the inner casting records that on the day of Yihai, a ceremonial official named Tiandi assisted King Wu of Zhou in holding a grand ceremony and sacrifice to pray for the success of the cutting. In the end, King Wu succeeded in destroying Shang. As a result, Tianxia also made this gui, and publicized the virtues of King Wu of Zhou and this event in the inscription of Gui. Through this brief inscription, we can know that this statue of heavenly death is directly related to the historical "Wu Wang's Cutting".
"Lái" bell - a musical instrument that promotes the virtues of Tianzi In the late Western Zhou Dynasty, it was excavated in Yangjia Village, Mei County, Shaanxi Province, in 1987
"Xu Gong" 簠 (fǔ) - the dowry of Princess Xu Guo in the middle of the Spring and Autumn Period Height 18.4 cm, length 34 cm, width 21 cm Collection Collection of the National Museum of China
"Xu Gong" (fǔ) inscription
Inscription Translation: Wang May Chu ji (crescent moon just appeared) Ding Hai Ri, Xu Gong made a dowry for Shu Jiang, as a sacrificial vessel, and his children and grandchildren have been cherishing it.
The inside of the lid and the bottom of the vessel are cast with 5 columns and 31 characters, which records that this vessel was a dowry made by Xu Gong for Shu Jiang. Xu was a fief of Uncle Wen at the beginning of the Zhou Dynasty, in the ancient city village of Dongzhangpan Township in present-day Xuchang City, Henan Province, which was destroyed by Chu during the Warring States period, and experienced more than 550 years.
"Yue Wang Zhou Sentence" Sword - The Sword of the King Warring States Length 56 cm, width 4.5 cm Tomb No. 52 of Heshan Temple in Yiyang City, Hunan Province, excavated from the Collection of Hunan Provincial Museum
Part III: Under the Temple
"Under the Temple" mainly exhibits bronze ceremonial vessels from the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, as well as bronze ornaments such as swords, bronze mirrors, copper seals, and bronze carriage and horse ornaments that embody the daily life of the nobility. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, with the continuous growth of princes, scholars, courtiers and new military aristocratic forces, the use system of bronze ware also developed forward, and the original sacredness and exclusivity of ceremonial utensils were broken, and bronzes were not only used in temples and state affairs, but also more widely appeared in the family sacrifices, feasts, archery, hunting and many other occasions of the aristocratic class. At the same time, daily necessities such as bronze small pieces were also popular, further extending the secular use of bronze.
Bird-shaped lid pot - "Shang Li" for the use of the middle of the Spring and Autumn Period Height 34 cm Collection of the National Museum of China
This instrument is huge in size, the cover is in the shape of an eagle's head, with the eagle's beak as the stream, the beak opening and closing flexibly, the design is ingenious, the shape is vivid and realistic, and it is full of artistic value. The eagle-headed Gai Ti Liang pot is mostly from the Shandong region, and the number of surviving is relatively small, which is a rare good tool in bronze pots.
Beast head copper 匜 (yí), cockroach pattern copper plate - the embodiment of the ritual of Wo Yu in the middle of the Spring and Autumn Period Za length 22.6 cm, height 11 cm; disc caliber 37 cm, through height 13.6 cm In 1986, Yueyang City, Hunan Province, Fengzui Shaped Mountain Tomb No. 1 excavated Yueyang City Museum Collection
"Prince Chen" Trick - Chu Prince's Instrument Late Spring and Autumn Height 22 cm, length 30 cm, width 13-15.5 cm Collection of the National Museum of China
Silkworm Mulberry Zun - A Record of the Pastoral Life of the Ancient Yue People Spring and Autumn Tong height 21 cm, caliber 15.5 cm, weight 2.75 kg In 1963, it was excavated from the banks of the Xiang River in Xialiu City (now Xialiu Town) in Hengdong County, Hunan Province
Bronze Jian of the Crab Pattern - Linjian Photograph Spring and Autumn Height 14.3 cm, width 38.3 cm In 1965, tomb No. 27 of Niuzhishan in Xiangxiang County (now Xiangxiang City), Hunan Province, was excavated and collected by the Hunan Provincial Museum
Pinnate grained eight-leaf four-mountain mirror - with copper as a mirror, can be dressed in the Warring States, diameter 4.4 cm, side thickness of 0.4 cm Collection of Hunan Provincial Museum
"Yanke" copper quantity - Chu state standard measuring instrument Warring States Tong height 13 cm, caliber 15 cm In 1984, Changsha City, Hunan Province, collected by the Hunan Provincial Museum
Part IV: Classical Afterglow
"Classical Afterglow" focuses on the continued development of bronze manufacturing technology from the Han to the Tang Dynasty, and bronze has also been closely following the current trend of thought, integrating new features, such as the Boshan furnace that embodies the immortal thought of the Han Dynasty, the bronze ware that reflects the integration of nationalities and the exchange of east and west, the exotic style, and the bronze statue.
In the Song Dynasty, with the rise of the cultural retro movement with the purpose of "reproducing three generations", the establishment of antique bronze ware as a shrine sacrifice vessel, and the peak of copper ware manufacturing appeared again. After the inheritance and development of the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, new bronze products such as Xuande furnaces have been created, and copper daily utensils and Small Pieces of Qing Play have also become more popular. "Ji Jin" shines through the classical era, adding a brilliant stroke to Chinese culture.
Painted Goose Fish Fish (gāng) Lamp - Environmental Protection Lamp from 2000 Years Ago Xihan Height 52.5 cm, Length 33 Cm Collection Collection of the National Museum of China
Bronze ware in the Qin and Han dynasties has been more free from the functional constraints of ceremonial utensils, and is widely used as a practical utensil for decoration. Because of this, the bronzes of this period have great freedom of styling and creation, and are based on practical value of design ideas. The goose and fish lanterns are a leading example of the background of this era. This goose fish lantern is composed of four parts: the head and long neck of the goose, the body and feet of the goose, the lamp plate and the lampshade, and the surface is painted to outline the feathers, scales and so on. The lamp controls the brightness and light angle by adjusting the shade, and the smoke is introduced into the goose body through the head and long neck of the goose and dissolves in the water. The goose fish lamp is both beautiful and practical, and is a bronze masterpiece with perfect unity of plastic arts and practical functions.
Hu people lead horses bronze figurines - witness to the integration of the Eastern Han Dynasty Hu people figurines are 43.7 cm high and weigh 6 kg The figurines are 51.5 cm high, 45 cm long and weigh 12.15 kg Excavated from Daoziping, Hengnan County, Hunan Province
Hu ren figurines have deep eyes, high nose bridge, thick eyebrows, big eyes, curly beard, and rings on the ears. Wear a hat and shoes, wear a cross-collared robe with tight sleeves on the right, stand with a belt around the waist, bend your left arm in front of your chest, and raise your right hand in the shape of a lead horse. The horse's body is strong, with vertical ears, the head is hissing, the tail is curved, the proximal end is knotted, the horse's title and the pèi [pèi] are complete, and there are three rings under the neck. The Hu people lead the horse figurine with beautiful shape, vivid and realistic, and it is one of the representative works of bronze sculpture in the Eastern Han Dynasty. The tomb tiles of the No. 3 Eastern Han Brick Chamber Tomb excavated in the same cemetery have the inscription "Two Thousand Stones", while the scale of Tomb No. 3 is smaller than Tomb No. 1, indicating that the owner of Tomb No. 1 should be a senior official above the "Two Thousand Stones" (County Sheriff). This group of cultural relics not only has high artistic value, but also provides us with rare and precious materials for studying ethnic relations and agriculture and animal husbandry in the Eastern Han Dynasty.
Brick seat dance figure bronze figurine - soul dancer with its own light Southern Dynasty Tong height 27.5 cm In 1983, it was excavated from the Collection of Hunan Provincial Museum in 1983
"Huang Zhongqing" Bell - Royal Chimes Northern Song Dynasty Residual height 25.0 cm, dance xiu 16.5 cm, dance guang 14.5 cm Collection Hunan Provincial Museum collection
Gilded bronze Buddha statue - The Seal of Fearlessness Liao 37 cm High Collection Hunan Provincial Museum Collection
Tao Shu (shù) Family Ancestral Ceremonial Vessel - The Embodiment of the Ritual of the Huxiang Ancestral Hall The sixth year of qing Daoguang (1826) collected the collection of the Hunan Provincial Museum
Wat: Height 26 cm, caliber 15.8 cm
Sir: Height 22 cm, flow length 15.5 cm
Beans: Height 28.2 cm, caliber 10.9 cm, foot diameter 16 cm
Chinium: Height 17.9 cm, caliber 15.2 cm
Gui: Height 15.9 cm, caliber 21.7× 16.1 cm
The four seasons flow, like the face of the human face, the face is silent; the merits of the ancestors are engraved on the bronze, and the rain and wind have not been annihilated.
Ding, Gui, Zun, Zhen, Jiao, Jue... In the years of mountains and rivers, respecting the ancestors and distinguished guests, fixing the order of heaven and earth and earth; ge, spear, sword, sword... The generals set up a battle, saluted first and then soldiered. The cold light of the battlefield, the sound of golden drums shaking the earth, the west wind hunting, the flag fluttering, and finally the one who has the way wins. Drums, drums, bells, chimes... The sound of Chinese music, the long song of eternity, still echoes in the ears today.
It was the two-thousand-year-long Bronze Age of China, the great construction of the ceremonial system at the beginning of Chinese civilization. They are bronze and they are kings. It seems to have returned, but it has not been far away...
The exhibition will be on view until May 18, 2022.
(This article is a synthesis of previous reports from the Hunan Provincial Museum, the "Cultural And Expo Circle" public account and the surging news.) ）