Spirited from Hands and Nature: The World of Ancient Chinese Bronzes
Preface
The casting of large and intricate bronze vessels is one of the greatest achievements of the Shang and Zhou dynasties in the history of China, which stands proudly among other great civilizations of antiquity. Bronzes are also a microcosm of the ritual
system and view of the universe in the Shang and Zhou dynasties, the profound contents of which merit further understanding. Here we are about to explore the functions, decorative units, casting techniques, and design principles of
these bronzes as a way to glimpse the Bronze Age of China during the Shang and Zhou dynasties.
Functions
Reverence for the Heavens and respect for ancestors was a matter of enormous importance in the Shang dynasty, and bronzes played a major role in the ceremonies involving them. Bronzes were mainly used to hold the food and alcoholic drinks offered in these
ceremonies. They also served to hold water for ritual cleaning and even as instruments for playing ritual musi
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2.Click on an artifact to see an explanation of its use.
Introduction
Decorative Units
Since most bronzes were used for ceremonial occasions in the Shang and Zhou dynasties, their forms and decoration had to suit the system of rites prescribed at the time. For this reason, the surface of vessels often featured a special
decorative unit--a kind of combination “hooked” pattern was formed to suit the specific design needs of the time.
The structure of these “hooked” units is relatively simple but capable of infinite variations. The transformative combinations give rise to all sorts of wondrous and fanciful forms, and they are often seen incised or raised.
氣紋組合
Let’s now see how the designers of decoration on Shang and Zhou bronzes applied them to create different animal themes.
1
PHOENIX-BIRD PATTERN
鳳鳥紋
2
蟬紋
CICADA PATTERN
3
ANIMAL-MASK PATTERN
獸面紋
4
蛇紋
SERPENT PATTERN
1
PHOENIX-BIRD PATTERN
鳳鳥紋
This ink rubbing on paper shows two phoenix birds perched back to back on the left and right, their wings and claws clearly visible with an overall sense of harmonious beauty.
This ink rubbing on paper shows two phoenix birds perched back to back on the left and right, their wings and claws clearly visible with an overall sense of harmonious beauty.
2
CICADA PATTERN
蟬紋
In the decoration on bronzes from the late Shang to early Zhou dynasty, the cicada pattern is mainly a secondary design. In this ink rubbing, the body of the vessel is covered with inverted cicada patterns, which on the contrary has become
the main form of decoration.
In the decoration on bronzes from the late Shang to early Zhou dynasty, the cicada pattern is mainly a secondary design. In this ink rubbing, the body of the vessel is covered with inverted cicada patterns, which on the contrary has become
the main form of decoration.
3
ANIMAL-MASK PATTERN
獸面紋
Running down the center of this ink rubbing is the nose bridge of the beast’s face, and on either side are round forms for its eyes. Below the nose is the beast’s mouth with fangs that create a terrifying image.
Running down the center of this ink rubbing is the nose bridge of the beast’s face, and on either side are round forms for its eyes. Below the nose is the beast’s mouth with fangs that create a terrifying image.
4
SERPENT PATTERN
蛇紋
The serpent pattern gradually increased in frequency on bronzes in the middle to late Shang dynasty. Most such patterns feature a wide head, a pair of eyes that stand out, a coiling body, and a tail portion curled upwards.
The serpent pattern gradually increased in frequency on bronzes in the middle to late Shang dynasty. Most such patterns feature a wide head, a pair of eyes that stand out, a coiling body, and a tail portion curled upwards.
Cast a Bronze
The process of producing a jia vessel in bronze during the Shang dynasty can be generally divided into the steps of creating the mold, refining the raw materials, and pouring the molten bronze for the vessel. The raw materials for the
mold pieces begin with refining the molding clay, a process itself that requires more than twenty steps in order to complete. The raw materials for the bronze jia represent a mixture in the proper proportions of copper, tin, and lead.
Molten at high temperatures, the mixture is poured into the mold and allowed to cool to form the bronze jia. The mold is then broken open to retrieve the metal vessel inside.
Making the Inner Mold
A clay model of the jia body is made using a scraper and base, allowed to partially dry, and then divided into three parts to form the mold. Fixed at a 120 degree angled surface, the legs are added along with the posts to complete the inner mold of the
jia.
Making the Exterior Mold Pieces
The relationship between the interior and outer mold pieces is that of a convex and concave correspondence. In other words, the outer mold pieces are pressed onto and made from the inner mold. The outer mold pieces for the jia produced as a result need
to be dried very slowly and then an inner core made based on them.
Making the Inner Core
On each of the three outer mold pieces of the jia is applied a slab of clay. When the three mold pieces are brought together, inside is a space for the core material that needs to filled and pressed. The outer mold pieces are removed and the clay slabs
taken from the core material to retrieve the inner core. The gap between the outer mold pieces and the inner core is the thickness of the bronze for the intended jia vessel.
Making the Decoration
The decoration is made on the inner surface of the partially dried outer mold pieces. A sketch is first drawn as a draft and the various patterns then carved into the surface.
Firing the Clay
Both the exterior mold pieces and the inner core need to be fired to harden them. They are slowly heated up to a temperature of about 1000 degrees Celsius and then allowed to naturally cool. Finally, the combination of four mold pieces and two cores are
fitted together and made into the final outer mold.
Pre-Casting Burial
Since molten bronze produces an outward force of expansion, the final assembled mold must be buried within a sand case. This allows the mold to be able to withstand the intense outward pressure of the molten bronze when it is being poured and thus increases
the chances of success.
Smelting and Pouring
Bronze is composed of an alloy of copper, tin, and lead. Melted in the proper proportions to a temperature of about 1100 degrees Celsius, the smelting process forms molten bronze that is then poured into a hole in the mold. After cooling, the piece mold
is broken apart to retrieve the object inside. The bronze is then cleaned and finished.
Ornamental Designs
The ornamentation of bronzes attempted to create a visual effect of spellbinding dazzle. With advances in the technology of bronze casting, the body of vessels were gradually made thicker and generation after generation of bronze designers
developed different modes of ornamentation.
Since the body walls of early bronze vessels were relatively thin, it was not possible to cast them with multiple levels of decoration. This was one reason why the style of ornamentation was relatively simple. This piece features a regulated
and symmetrical animal-mask pattern that goes around the body of the vessel, creating a simple and orderly aestheti
16th-14th century BCE
Jia wine vessel with animal mask pattern
Early Shang Dynasty
15th-13th century BCE
13th-11th century BCE
11th-10th century BCE
10th-9th century BCE
9th century to 771 BCE
Starting from the late Shang dynasty, the body of bronzes became thicker, making the casting of multilevel decoration on vessels possible. The animal-mask pattern on this square bronze zun vessel features phoenix-bird designs in semi-sculptural
relief. Clearly standing out from the surface, they form the focus of the decoration,called the main motif. The rest of the space on the surface is filled with hooked forms that form the secondary decoration,called the ground pattern.
16th-14th century BCE
15th-13th century BCE
Square Zun wine vessel with round mouth, animal heads, and animal mask patterns
Early to Mid Shang Dynasty
13th-11th century BCE
11th-10th century BCE
10th-9th century BCE
9th century to 771 BCE
With the increasing thickness of the walls for bronze vessels, the distinction between the motifs and ground in the decoration became even more distinct. At the time, the ground mostly composed of hooked patterns increasingly turned into
a spiral decoration to fill in the spaces. Because the designers had yet to standardize the relationship of combining the motifs and spiral pattern, this pattern mostly consisted of individual hooked spirals to the side of the main
motifs.
16th-14th century BCE
15th-13th century BCE
13th-11th century BCE
Pan water vessel with coiling dragon pattern
Late Shang Dynasty
11th-10th century BCE
10th-9th century BCE
9th century to 771 BCE
The design relationship between the main motifs and spiral patterns by this time had already achieved a mutually reciprocal state of co-existence. After standardization, if the outline of the main motifs was diminished, then the ground
pattern there would be filled with a double spiral pattern. If it was not diminished, then the ground pattern next to it would be filled with a single spiral pattern.
16th-14th century BCE
15th-13th century BCE
13th-11th century BCE
11th-10th century BCE
You wine vessel of Zhao
Early Western Zhou Dynasty
10th-9th century BCE
9th century to 771 BCE
The hooked patterns of both the Shang and Zhou dynasties were closely related to each other, the biggest difference between the two being that a hook unit in the pattern of the mathematical symbol for pi (π) appeared during the Western
Zhou.
16th-14th century BCE
15th-13th century BCE
13th-11th century BCE
11th-10th century BCE
10th-9th century BCE
Square Zun wine vessel of Fu
Mid Western Zhou Dynasty
9th century to 771 BCE
The decoration on bronzes of the early to middle Western Zhou period were unusually opulent, but in the late Western Zhou things changed as slightly simpler geometric designs became common, as seen in the decoration of this Zong-zhou zhong
bell. Although the decoration is simpler, it still features a transformed traditional hooked pattern.
