A Preliminary Study on Bronze Wine Wares
A brief introduction
Various types of bronze wine vessels inevitably leave future generations amazed by the rich artistic charm of ancient imagination.
In the Shang Dynasty, due to the development of the brewing industry and the improvement of bronze ware production technology, China's wine ware reached an unprecedented prosperity. At that time, there were also clans such as the "Chang Shao" and "Wei Shao" who specialized in making wine utensils for a living.
Although the drinking style of the Zhou Dynasty was not as good as that of the Shang Dynasty, the wine vessels still basically followed the style of the Shang Dynasty. In the Zhou Dynasty, there were also "Ziren" who specialized in making wine utensils.
Bronze ware originated in Xia Dynasty, and the earliest copper wine ware discovered is Jue in Xia Erlitou culture. Bronze vessels reached their peak in the Shang and Zhou dynasties, but declined during the Spring and Autumn period. The use of wine vessels in the Shang and Zhou dynasties was basically exclusive. According to the General Theory of Bronzes in Yin and Zhou Dynasties, bronzes in Shang and Zhou Dynasties can be divided into four major parts: food vessels, wine vessels, water vessels Traditional Japanese musical instruments, with a total of 50 categories, of which wine vessels account for 24 categories. According to their usage, they are divided into wine boiling vessels, wine containers, wine drinking vessels, and wine storage vessels. In addition, there are ritual vessels. Rich in form and diverse in variety. But there are also basic combinations, which mainly include jue and gu, or with the addition of bronze vessels. The same shape and style also bear the imprint of different historical periods.
Zhong Ding Bronze Ware
A wine container is a container for holding and preparing wine. There are many types of them, mainly including the following:
Zun, Hu, Qu, Zhi, Dish, Jian, Hu, Jiu, Weng, Pi, Yi
Each type of wine vessel comes in many styles, including regular and animal shaped ones. Taking Zun as an example, there are Xiang Zun, Xi Zun, Niu Zun, Yang Zun, Hu Zun, etc.
The main types of drinking utensils include: Gu, Zhi, Jiao, Jue, Cup, and Boat. People of different identities use different drinking vessels, as stated in the "Book of Rites - Ritual Vessels" section: "In the sacrifice of a ancestral temple, those who are revered hold their horns, while those who are humble hold their horns.
A wine warmer, used to heat the wine before drinking, paired with a ladle for easy retrieval. Some warm wine vessels are called bottles, which were popular during the Han Dynasty.
The bronze Jian in the tomb of Zeng Houyi in Suizhou, Hubei can be used to store wine on ice, hence it is also known as the Ice Jian.
Classifications and corresponding characteristics
Jue drinking vessel, an important ritual vessel. From business to spring and autumn. Round belly, also with individual square bellies, with a flow of wine at the front of the mouth
It has a pointed tail at the back, a column on each side of the mouth, a handle on one side of the abdomen, and three cone-shaped long feet below.
In the Book of Rites and Special Animal Rites, it is noted that during the Shang and Zhou dynasties, the smaller the drinking vessel, the more prominent the owner's position was. The Book of Rites: Ritual vessels "states:" Those who respect are presented with nobility, while those who are humble are presented with dispersion.
During the Shang Dynasty, the burial of nobles was centered around bronze nobles and goblets. However, for small nobles, only a pair of nobles and goblets could be used for burial. With the improvement of noble status, the number of goblets and goblets also increased. Forty jue and 54 gu were found in the tomb of Queen Tomb of Fu Hao of the Shang Dynasty.
Early Beast Face Bronze Merchant
Gu (g ū） Drinking utensils and ritual vessels. It was prevalent during the Shang and Zhou dynasties. Round, slender body, with mouth edges and rounded feet, shaped like horns, extravagant mouth, slender waist, and protruding abdomen. In the early and middle stages of the Shang Dynasty, the body of the Gu was relatively thick and short; Late Shang to Early Western Zhou
During the period, the body of the Gu is slender and the waist is thinner. At the time of burial, sharing with the nobles was the central tool.
Zhi (zh ì) drinking vessel, ritual vessel. Shaped like reverence but small. Luxurious mouth, round belly, circled feet, mostly covered, Western Zhou Dynasty
Sometimes it is shaped like a square column with four rounded corners, but during the Spring and Autumn period, it evolved into a long body, resembling a Gu.
The Book of Rites - Ritual Instruments "states:" In the sacrificial ceremony of a ancestral temple, those who are revered hold their horns, while those who are humble hold their horns.
A wine container or warming vessel, a ceremonial vessel, and a ceremonial book are called "scattered". Prevalent in the Shang Dynasty and early Western Zhou Dynasty. Luxurious mouth, with pillars along the mouth, wide body, one foot (p à n, ears), and three feet below. Used by lower ranking nobles.
Respect large and medium-sized wine containers, ceremonial vessels. Also known as "罇". Popular during the Shang and Zhou dynasties, with occasional occurrences in the late Spring and Autumn period.
There are two types of statues: round statue and square statue. Large mouth, thick neck, deep abdomen, ample shoulders, some with three decorations on the shoulders
Sacrificial head, round bottom, high circular or square feet.
Representative artifacts include Four-goat Square Zun, which is now in the National Museum of China.
Pot containers for wine and water, ritual vessels. Popular from the Shang Dynasty to the Han Dynasty. There are many types of vessels, including circular, square,flat circular, octagonal, bottle shaped, etc. There is a ring top lid, which can be inverted to serve as a cup.
The representative artifacts are the banqueting, hunting, water and land attack and war design pots that are now stored in the Palace Museum in Beijing in the early Warring States Period.
Large wine containers and water vessels, ritual vessels. Popular from the late Shang Dynasty to the mid Spring and Autumn period. There are circular and square shapes.
The circular Lei is shaped with a closed mouth, wide shoulders, ample belly, circular feet or a flat bottom, and has circular or animal head shaped two or four ears on the shoulders,
There is a penetrating nose on one side of the lower abdomen. Square Lei is mostly small mouth, sloping shoulder, covered, and shaped like a sloping roof. Etiquette - Shao
According to "The Rite of Providing Food", "Si Kong set Lei water in the east," indicating that Lei also has the purpose of holding water.
You (y ǒ u) A ceremonial vessel for holding fragrant wine. It was prevalent from the Shang Dynasty to the Western Zhou Dynasty. Oval opening, round belly, elliptical belly or square belly, deep belly, circular foot, with lid and lifting beam; There are also cylindrical shaped, square shaped, and bird and beast shaped vessels. A typical bird and beast shaped vessel includes the tiger cannibal Tiliang vessel in the collection of the French Museum of Senucci.
Embedded with red copper hunting patterns in the early Warring States period.
How to gain these wine vessels?
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