Bronze plates and utensils are used to conceal gifts
Water vessels were important ritual vessels during the Shang and Zhou dynasties.
The metaphysical is the Tao, while the metaphysical is the utensil. In ancient China, the tradition of "storing ritual in utensil" was to make bronze vessels a symbol of ritual according to the ritual system, in order to establish identity and status, display the relationship of superiority and inferiority, and express piety and reverence. As a result, ritual vessels have become an institutional social and cultural symbol. The type of ritual vessels used and how they are combined convey the corresponding message of etiquette and righteousness.
The phenomenon of "hiding rituals in utensils" existed long before the emergence of bronze ware. The earliest excavated bronze ritual vessels can be traced back to the Xia Dynasty. The peak of ritual vessels was during the late Shang and Western Zhou periods. During this period, the bronze smelting and casting industry became a representative of social productivity; This period was also the period of the formation of the ritual system.
According to the etiquette system, during the Shang and Zhou dynasties, nobles carried out strict washing and washing ceremonies when worshipping gods, ancestors, and feasting on guests. Therefore, bronze water vessels can be classified as ritual vessels.
Bronze water vessels can be roughly divided into four types: water bearing vessels, water injection vessels, water holding vessels, and water injection vessels. Common types include pan, y í, he (h é), bowl, Jian, basin, etc.
Glen
A bowl is a vessel for holding water or rice, similar to a Gui with ears, but larger than Gui. The shape of the bowl is generally larger because it was popular for a short time and the number of unearthed items is also small.
On December 17, 1994, an important Wang Yu of the Western Zhou Dynasty was unearthed from Liujia Group, Zhuangbai Village, Famen Town, Fufeng County, Shaanxi Province (Figure ①). It is one of the four important Western Zhou royal artifacts discovered in China at present.
The upper half of the bowl was lost before being buried. The bottom of the residual bowl is circular, with a bottom diameter of 40 centimeters, a circular foot diameter of 44.6 centimeters, a residual height of 14 centimeters, and a residual weight of 17 kilograms.
The lower part of the circular foot is a plain convex circle with a height of 5.2 centimeters. The upper part of the circle contracts inward in a gentle slope. Above the gentle slope is a straight wall. The wall is adorned with 8 gluttonous surfaces, consisting of alternating patterns of clouds and thunder, with smooth lines.
The bottom of the bowl is concave in the middle, forming a pot bottom shape. The bottom of the bowl is inscribed with two lines of 8 characters. The text said, "Wang Zha (work) returned to the palace in the capital (sleep). (Picture ②)
This inscription has a fresh and concise style, making it unique among the numerous bronze inscriptions of the Western Zhou Dynasty. This artifact is from the early Western Zhou Dynasty, and its era was around the time of Chengkang in the Western Zhou Dynasty. Therefore, the person making the artifact may be Chengwang or Kangwang. The inscription on the Wang Yu reads, 'The king will be sleeping in the nearby capital and will return to the Yu', which is the palace where the king resides. The excavation of Wang Yu provides reliable evidence for solving the problem of the neighboring capital's territorial prestige.
Appraisal
Jian is a water container. Shuowen: "Jian, Da Pen also".
When bronze mirrors were not in vogue, ancient people often used dishes to hold water to reflect their appearance. Ma Chengyuan introduced in "Chinese Bronze Wares" that "supervision" and "authentication" are ancient and modern characters. The supervisor of oracle bone inscriptions is very similar to a person bowing down and looking at their appearance. The ancients used it for bathing and also as a toilet.
Bronze Jian appeared in the mid Spring and Autumn period, and was most popular during the late Spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period. It was still cast during the Western Han Dynasty.
basin
A basin is a large food and water container. It is popular in the Spring and Autumn period, and can also be seen in the Warring States Period, Qin and Han Dynasties. It is used for the same purpose as a bowl. The implement is circular, with folded shoulders, deep abdomen, flat bottom, double ring ears or animal ears, most of which are covered and have a base but not three legs. The body of the vessel is often adorned with copper patterns popular during the Spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period, with a few being plain.
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