Appreciation of Bronze Ware in Cultural Relics Knowledge
Decorations and inscriptions on bronze vessels
The decorative patterns of Chinese bronze ware are integrated into one. The common animal facial patterns are mainly taotie patterns, followed by dragon patterns and phoenix patterns. There are also various animal patterns, animal facial deformation patterns, fire patterns, geometric patterns, and character portraits. Character portraits only appeared after the Warring States period.
In the late Xia period, most bronze vessels did not carry inscriptions. After the mid Shang Dynasty, inscriptions with one character or one ethnic emblem gradually increased in number, reaching dozens or hundreds of characters in the Western Zhou Dynasty. In the mid Western Zhou Dynasty, inscriptions with over 200 or 300 characters appeared. Mao Gong ding in the middle and late Western Zhou Dynasty had the largest number of characters, nearly 400. The content of the inscription generally includes royal ceremonies, military affairs, etc.
Several Terminology for Appraisal of Bronze Ware
Scientific appraisal
Scientific identification usually refers to the use of modern instruments for element analysis, Radioactive element dating, etc
Ophthalmology
Based on systematic knowledge for comprehensive judgment, commonly known as "ophthalmology". The basis of "ophthalmology" is the typology, morphology, and patterning of excavated specimens and standard tools, which utilizes a large amount of systematic knowledge and experience. For example, the identification of inscriptions on bronze vessels often becomes strong evidence for controversial artifacts, especially for long inscriptions with a few crosses or more. It is difficult for modern people to compile ancient inscriptions that can be examined but have not been written and have clear meanings. It is also difficult to write ancient texts that are clear in meaning, free from artificiality, and free from errors, which cannot be solved by instruments. For example, in the early casting process, the marks of incorrect patterns, the cushion marks separating the inner and outer patterns, and the forged marks cannot be determined by current instruments. However, experts, experienced cultural relics workers, and collectors can only use the naked eye or magnifying glass to determine. Therefore, accumulating experience and mastering the general characteristics and internal laws of bronze ware are essential for collecting activities.
Raw pit, cooked pit, water pit, "dirty pit", "hair pit", and "half hair pit"
The term "sheng" or "sheng keng" refers to newly unearthed and earlier unearthed artifacts that maintain their original appearance at the time of excavation, have not undergone further treatment after excavation, have not been contaminated by oil and dirt in daily life, and have not undergone surface changes formed by long-term direct hand manipulation, and have a bright rust and soil color.
The opposite is true for "shu" or "shu keng". For example, unearthed during the Ming and Qing dynasties, and even before the Song Dynasty, after the experience of "passing down", the surface of the objects has already shown a natural "ripe" and "old" appearance. Especially in the mid Qing Dynasty, collectors enjoyed removing rust, polishing, waxing, and playing with bronze ware all year round, resulting in the formation of the "Black Lacquer Ancient".
The common sayings of "water pit", "dirty pit", "hair pit", and "semi hair pit" not only refer to the surface characteristics presented by the objects, but also specifically point out the corresponding soil environment of the land and the quality characteristics presented by the objects.
The "Shuikeng" artifacts were mostly unearthed in Hunan, Hubei, and Zhejiang, and are typically characterized by bright colors and glossy surfaces resembling mirrors. Either as green as crystal clear, or as black as shiny, as if it had just been fished out of water. Therefore, the common sayings that often accompany the "water pit" vessels include "green lacquer ancient" and "black lacquer ancient".
The "dirty pit" artifacts were unearthed in some northern regions, characterized by a mottled and disorderly rust color on the surface of copper artifacts, accompanied by a large amount of "harmful rust", and even causing serious damage to the artifacts.
The "hair pit" and "half hair pit" indicate that not only the surface of the soil, but also the texture itself, are severely eroded, showing a loose, foaming and cracking like fermentation. Most of the tombs with such phenomena as rising, bubbling, and cracking are commonly referred to as "hair pits", while some or some of the antique shops commonly refer to them as "half hair pits".
'Green lacquer ancient' and 'Black lacquer ancient'
"Green lacquer ancient" refers to the formation of green rust on copper vessels. Due to changes in hydrogeological conditions or long-term immersion in tombs and cellars, the floating rust on the surface of the objects naturally falls off. However, due to the age, the green color is firmly immersed in the surface of the objects, forming a thin layer of green paint, so it is commonly known as "green lacquer ancient".
The principle of "black lacquer ancient" is similar to that of "green lacquer ancient", mainly depending on the local water quality and soil acidity and alkalinity. There are natural "slurry" formed by the long-term transmission of artifacts, as well as differences in the alloy composition of bronze ware itself. Generally speaking, when the artifacts were unearthed, they were as black as ink, and there were almost no green rust on the surface. Most of them were from the Spring and Autumn Period, the Warring States Period, and the Han Dynasty, and the Warring States Period and the Western Han Dynasty were more common. About 90% of them were cast during the Warring States period. Most of the red and blue rust spots also appeared on late bronze vessels, especially during the Han Dynasty, when they were caused by the inclusion of iron and other components in bronze. This situation would never happen during the Shang and Zhou dynasties.
Jujube skin red
Some bronzes are dark red under the green rust, which is called "jujube skin red" in the Liulichang idiom.
Encapsulation
'Slurry coating' refers to a special phenomenon where there is no floating rust, but the surface of a utensil presents a uniform, soft and bright oxide layer. It is sometimes also used to refer to the "raw", "cooked", and color appearance of the surface of the utensil. So, it can be used for unearthed tools and also for passed down products. 'Baojiang' is usually an important basis for identifying bronze ware, but some people intentionally use it and can achieve a similar appearance. For example, a newly cast copper incense burner, soaked in different mixed liquids and then baked, will produce various colored "paste". After repeated soaking and roasting, even a very beautiful thick "coating" may appear. This has been widely used in Suzhou's imitation of the "Xuande Furnace" in recent years.
Mercury immersion
Mercury immersion, also known as "mercury ancient", is a natural phenomenon of "coating" on bronze vessels, with some being localized and others being entirely silver white, commonly seen in bronze mirrors. Mainly produced during the Warring States period to the Han Dynasty, with the Warring States period being the most common, most of which were unearthed in the Central Plains region. In recent years, Henan imitation has become the highest realm, which can be almost unreal.
Pan Gold
The situation of "pan gold" is similar to that of "mercury immersion", not that the artifacts were plated with mercury or gold when they were cast, but rather a special oxide layer formed by the bronze ware in a specific soil environment, formerly known as "return gold" or "return copper". This phenomenon usually only occurs on bronze vessels that have just been cast and have not been used before, and almost all of them have been unearthed in the Shang Dynasty strata near Anyang, Henan. There is only one case in Shaanxi, and no similar situation has been reported in other regions. So, atypical Anyang type "pan gold" vessels can be directly pointed at as fake.
Product phase
The phrase 'quality appearance' is a comprehensive evaluation of the texture and completeness of cultural relics themselves. Taking metal coinage as an example, the quality of "ancestral coins" or "carved mother coins" is destined to be superior to that of "mother coins" formed from birth; The quality of "ministerial sample money" or "incoming sample money" is destined to be superior to "initial furnace money"; The "initial currency" is superior to ordinary circulating currency, where the "quality" is higher than the first level. However, in addition to their own quality, the quality of preservation is also a criterion for judging the quality of their appearance. That is to say, if beautifully minted ordinary circulating coins are preserved as new, their appearance is naturally excellent; If the "carved mother" is severely damaged, it will also be criticized as having poor appearance.
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