Ancient Bronze Ritual Vessels

XIA - SHANG - ZHOU

The Three Dynasties

The advent of bronze ware making marked an early point of advancement in ancient Chinese civilisation. Whilst archaeological excavations have unearthed bronze articles that date back to period of the late Neolithic Age and the Xia dynasty (c 2070-1600BCE), there has been “no written records” and speculation is based on “patchy archeological remnant of its life”.[1] An examples of this derives from excavations of the Erlitou site, with bronze articles that arguably date back to the Xia dynasty – notably a bronze jue (wine) – showing the early use of vessels.[2] This complicates the dates of the Bronze Age, for whilst it said to have commenced from 1600BCE – coinciding with the Shang dynasty – its accuracy is disputable.[3] Robert Bagley suggests that the Chinese Bronze Age could be defined in terms of “the rise of [a] stratified society” during the Shang dynasty, where bronze was a primary influence on its development.[4] Thus, large-scale bronze making during the late Shang dynasty and succeeding Zhou dynasty formed the early recorded period of development, which is evidenced by the large material collection of bronze objects – particularly bronze ritual vessels – along with textual evidence from oracle bone inscriptions – that record a history rich with bronze use.[5] Items that have been excavated include tools and vessels, as well as ceremonial and military weapons for the purposes of warfare and worship.

Late Xia dynasty: Early bronze jue (wine) vessel thought to have derived from the Erlitou culture.

Late Shang dynasty: The Houmuwu is considered an exemplar of Shang bronze making.

Late Zhou dynasty: Bronze wine and water vessel with intricate detailing that has developed since the Shang

SHANG DYNASTY

A collage of Shang bronze ware. From left to right: You (wine vessel), Gong (sprouted wine vessel), helmet, hafted axe.

At the centre of the Three Dynasties lies the Shang, with its capital established in the northern plains of China around 1600BCE to around 1046 BCE, becoming what is considered the formative period of Chinese culture.[6] Although the capital was moved numerous times throughout the course of the dynasty, the final capital was settled in Yin, which is the reason why the Shang Dynasty is synonymous with the Yin dynasty.[7] The large-scale production of bronze vessels, tools and weapons during this period left behind a wealth of material and textual records that shows evidence of ancestral worship and state ritual practices. Various types of bronze ritual vessels have been excavated that date back to this period, casting light on the array of functions that these served. Whilst some were used for holding, serving and cooking sacrificial offerings of food, others were used to carry and warm liquids like wine, both of which were required for ceremonies designed to feed and appease ancestral spirits.[8] These ritual bronzes were also important burial objects, for they represented the power and authority that the deceased would take into the afterlife, where the belief of this can be interpreted from recordings on Shang oracle bones.[9] Apart from ceremonial uses, bronze weaponry were an important part of Shang military power, which was crucial, for the rulers in this dynasty owed their domination to military campaigns targeted against neighbouring societies and other states.[10] Here, we can consider the dual function of rituals and state power, which shed light on the Shang culture and society.

"Many of the bronze wares have names and/or stories written on them..."

-Wei-dong Sun, et al. (2016). [11]

THE ZHOU DYNASTY AND ONWARDS

Bronze vessels had a strong association with rituals, which remained widespread as sacrifices and rituals continued to be performed for ancestors across the Shang and Zhou dynasty. However, during the much later Han dynasty, the large size and quantity of bronze objects diminished considerably, for bronze ritual vessels started to dissociate from its purpose as solely items of worship, and instead took on a more general function in quotidian life.[10] A historical pattern emerges that can be traced back to late Neolithic period, for ceramic li vessels (see THIS page) – thought to be used for everyday purposes – became the prototype for the bronze ding – which was highly associated with ritualistic functions in the Shang and Zhou dynasties – and would continue toward the Han – where bronze vessel arguably reverts back to more domestic uses. Furthermore, vessel designs also changed along with this. Whilst more "lyrical and elegant forms" developed throughout the succeeding dynasties, a number of decorative motifs and imagery were retained. [11] Thus, examining and comparing Shang bronze vessels with those of other periods helps illustrate a larger portrait of early bronze development in China.

WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CHINESE BRONZE AGE?

Click HERE to watch a quick clip from the BBC mini-series The Story of China and follow historian Michael Wood on a journey through the Shang dynasty ruins.

Click HERE to listen to a fun and easy-going episode of The China History Podcast where Laszlo Montgomery goes through the history of the Shang dynasty and the importance of bronze making.

Reference

[1] Tan Koon San, Dynastic China: An Elementary History (Petaling Jaya: The Other Press, 2014) 4.

[2] Robert W. Bagley, “The Beginnings of the Bronze Age: The Erlitou Culture Period,” The Great Bronze Age of China: An Exhibition from the People's Republic of China, ed.Wen Fong (Alfred A Knopf, New York, 1980), 70.

[3] Robert Bagley, “Shang Archaeology,” in The Cambridge History of Ancient China: From the Origins of Civilisation to 221 B.C. eds. Michael Loewe and Edward L. Shaughnessy. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999), 137.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Robert L. Thorp, China in the Early Bronze Age: Shang Civilization, (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press), 2006.

[6] Lai Chen, The Core Values of Chinese Civilization, (Gateway East: Springer Nature and SDX Joint Publishing, 2017), 59.

[7] Ahmad Hasan Dani et al., History of Humanity: From the Third Millennium to the Seventh Century B.C., eds. Ahmad Hasan Dani and Sigfried J. de Laet et al., (New York: Routledge,1996), 726.

[8] Li, Song, Chinese Bronze Ware (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2011), 26.

[9] Mu-chou Poo, "Preparation for the Afterlife in Ancient China," in Mortality in Traditional Chinese Thought, eds. Amy Olberding and Philip J. Ivanhoe (New York State University of New York Press, 2011), 18.

[10] Lu Liancheng and Yan Wenming, "Society During the three Dynasties", in The Formation of Chinese Civilization: An Archaeological Perspective, eds. Sarah Allan (Connecticut: New World Press, 2005) , 151.

[9] Wei-dong Sun, Li-peng Zhang, Jia Guo, Cong-ying Li, Yu-hang Jiang, Robert E. Zartman & Zhao-feng Zhang. "Origin of the mysterious Yin-Shang bronzes in China indicated by lead isotopes," Scientific Reports 6 (2016): 1.

[12] Julia M. White, Ronald Y. Otsuka, Pathways to the Afterlife: Early Chinese Art from the Sze Hong Collection, Denver Art Museum, 16.

[13] Ibid.

Images

Header: "A BRONZE RITUAL TRIPOD VESSEL (LI DING) LATE SHANG / EARLY WESTERN ZHOU DYNASTY, 12TH-11TH CENTURY BC." Sotherby's, New York City. Accessed September 24 , 2017. "http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2013/fine-chinese-ceramics-works-of-art-n09006/lot.18.html.

XIA - SHANG - ZHOU: "Alter Set." Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. Accessed September 24 , 2017. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/24.72.1-14/. Ritual Bronzes from the Shang dynasty-Western Zhou dynasty (1046-771 BC).

Late Xia dynasty: N. S. Gill, "9 Accomplishments of the Ancient Chinese." Thoughtco.. Last Modified June 13, 2017, https://www.thoughtco.com/what-the-ancient-chinese-accomplished-117658.

Late Shang dynasty: Yu-Qian Jiang, Shu-Xiang Ruan, Shan Tang, and Zhi-Gang Shuai. “Chemistry Progress ad Civilization in Ancient China.” Bulletin of the Chinese Academy of Sciences 25, no. 1 (2011): 30.

Late Zhou dynasty: "Ancient Chinese Bronze." Chinese International Press. Last modified March 26, 2010. http://treasure.chinese.cn/en/article/2010-03/26/content_119905.htm.

Collage of Shang bronze ware from left to right:

"Shang Dynasty Bronze You ( wine vessel ) with Swinging Handle and Phoenix Design and inscription 'ge'." Hunan Provincial Museum, Hunan. Accessed September 24 , 2017. https://lh5.ggpht.com/vCo9LxxooBegZ3IqCiPdxeZyvDhifV_7SSVH9ugdalNqOa_JfR1aIO5aJFU.

"商青銅爵 Wine Vessel (Jue)," Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. Accessed September 24 , 2017. http://metmuseum. org/art/collection/ search/44775.

"Shang Dynasty Bronze Helmet." Kaidoko, New York. Accessed September 24 , 2017. http://www.kaikodo.com/index.php/exhibition/detail/a_to_z/224

“Dagger Axe (Ge).” Smithsonion Freer Gallery of Art, Washington. Accessed September 24 , 2017. http://www.graphitejournal.com/wealth-or-war/.

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