The Chinese architectural system has a long history, and its roots can be traced back to the end of primitive society. After a long period of baptism and the wisdom of countless craftsmen, from the base to the roof, from the interior to the exterior, from the components to the whole, finally cast a unique architectural style and decorative art.
"Zhou Li: Examination of the Work Record" records: "Yin people are heavy houses, the hall repairs seven fathoms, the hall worships three feet, and the four A heavy houses." As early as the Yin Shang period, Chinese architecture has formed the palace architectural style of "Maots Tu Steps" and "Four Ah Heavy Houses", which has had an important impact on Chinese architecture in later generations.
Do you want to know how exquisite the construction technology of the palace of the Shang King is?
Bronze building components with animal face pattern, bronze, Shang Dynasty cultural relics, 19 cm high, 18.8 cm wide, 16.3 cm long, weighing 6 kg, the whole body is patina. In 1989, the site of Xiaoshuangqiao in Zhengzhou City, Henan Province was collected, and it is now in the Henan Museum.
The whole object is "concave" when viewed from above, the front is nearly square, the upper and lower sides are folded inward, the left and right sides are nearly parallelogram, and there is a vertical rectangular square hole in the middle. Because the shape and structure of this vessel are very different from those of bronze ritual vessels, weapons, chariots and horses, and miscellaneous utensils, and there is a large rammed earth building foundation site found near the land, it was inferred that it should be a component embedded in the building at that time, so it was named "bronze building component with animal face pattern". It is the earliest known bronze artifact used on a building, dating back to the early Shang Dynasty.
From the ornamental point of view, the front of the utensils is a beast face pattern outlined by the yin line, and the animal face is composed of horns, eyes, nose and mouth. The two horns of the beast's face are huge, and there are antler-like forks, the eyes are round, and the corners of the eyes are raised, which is quite majestic, the long nose is long, and the two sides are outlined with double lines to outline the large nose vortex, the mouth is wide and sharp, and the lines outlined by the yin lines on the outside of the beast's face are like moire and the hair whiskers of the beast's face.
The ornaments on both sides of the utensils are similar, and they are all a pair of dragon and tiger fighting elephant patterns. The upper side and the right side are a curved dragon pattern, the shape is similar to the snake shape on the bronzes of the Shang and Zhou dynasties, the curved body is curled with tails; the lines outlined by the yin line on both sides of the dragon body resemble clouds or water, and can be understood as deformed claws; the dragon head part is composed of horns, eyes and nose, etc., the outline is clear, the eyes are prominent, the corners of the eyes are raised, and it is quite angry. The lower side is a tiger stripe, the tiger's mouth is wide open and devouring, the waist and back are bent, the tail is dragged down and slightly rolled up, the limbs are short, the claws are prominent, and it has an obvious attack state. The left side of the side is a pictographic ornament, the elephant's head is under the dragon's head, the tail is in front of the tiger's mouth, the elephant's head has a long nose rolled up, the eyes are upside down, the limbs are squatting, and the body and tail are more abstract. The pictogram is decorated with upside-down eyes and crouching on all fours, indicating submission.
The bronze building component of the animal face pattern is not only the decoration of the front section of the wooden beams of the palace, but also the component of the reinforcement of the wooden beams. The overall layout of the decoration is rigorous and the decorative lines are delicate and delicate, which not only has a sense of solemnity, but also does not lose the majestic atmosphere, showing the richness and luxury of the palace of the king of Shang.
The site of Xiaoshuangqiao, the site of this cultural relic, is located on the south bank of the Yellow River, and is the only site with the scale and nature of Duyi found between Zhengzhou Mall and Anyang Huanbei Mall.
A large number of cultural relics have been unearthed at the site of Xiaoshuangqiao, such as large palace ruins, sacrificial ruins, bronze smelting and casting relics and Zhushu characters, etc., reflecting the majesty and magnificence of this land and the vicissitudes of the rise and fall of dynasties. In archaeological discoveries and academic discussions, it is being recognized by more and more scholars as the "capital of the world".
Expert interpretation
According to Zhang Junru, a librarian of the Henan Museum, the discovery of bronze building components with animal face patterns is of great significance.
First of all, as a bronze component on the building, it is the earliest physical object in the known era, which plays an important role in the study of ancient architecture in the mainland. Its discovery not only enriches the categories of known Shang Dynasty building materials, but also expands the understanding of the use of bronze materials, proving that bronze is not only used to make bronze ceremonial utensils, chariot and horse components, and production tools, but can also be used as structural or decorative components of wooden building components.
Secondly, except for the protrusion of the eyes, the rest of the parts of the bronze building components with animal face pattern are single-layer flat carving. The way in which the yin line outlines the thematic frame is the main form of bronze ornamentation in the early Shang Dynasty, and generally uses narrow ornamental bands, and large-area compositions like this vessel are extremely rare. The image of the dragon on the side is also unique, the image of the dragon on the bronzes of the Shang and Zhou dynasties, the head is mostly expressed in a side state, and the head is mostly a snake on the front, and the image of the dragon on this vessel is rare, and it can even be said to be unique. The design concept of the dragon, tiger and elephant on the side of the utensils in the same picture, and expresses a certain ideological meaning through the changes of each animal form, has high artistic value and reflects the level of arts and crafts in the early Shang Dynasty.
Thirdly, the dragon and tiger fighting image diagram on the vessel plays a very important role in the study of the history of the Shang Dynasty in mainland China. "Lü's Spring and Autumn Period: Ancient Music" records: "The merchant dressed as an elephant, in order to abuse Dongyi, the Duke of Zhou chased him with a teacher, as for the south of the Yangtze River. The dragon and tiger fighting elephant pattern on the artifact represents the meaning of the conquest of elephants, which is consistent with the documentary record, which is not only of great value for the literature to remove the false and retain the true, but also to prove that the Central Plains of the Shang Dynasty not only had elephants, but also has surrendered the fact that the fact that it has been subjugated.
Therefore, this vessel is a rare artistic masterpiece and historical treasure in the culture of the Shang Dynasty. (Zhengguan News reporter Zhang Xiaolu)
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