Look, look, the face on the bronze ware
The ancient Chinese bronze vessels had magnificent shapes and magnificent patterns, representing the highest standards of craftsmanship and aesthetic spirit at that time. The mysterious patterns on bronze vessels thousands of years ago, such as animal face patterns, Kui dragon patterns, and phoenix bird patterns, have deeply fascinated the world. The information and connotation carried by the decoration go beyond the objects themselves, and under the solemn and solemn appearance, ancient wisdom and the spirit of the times are hidden.
In the collection of the Shanghai Museum, there is such a piece of bronze ware more than 3000 years ago. The whole body is decorated with animal face patterns. It is dignified with innocence, rough and exquisite. The animal face is drooping at both angles, and the style is rare - it is the thick square tripod of the reign of Emperor Zhaowang in the Western Zhou Dynasty. Houfufang Ding is a first-class cultural relic in the collection of Shanghai Museum. It is a legendary treasure in terms of artistic value, casting technology, inscriptions and spreading experience. It is not only a permanent masterpiece of cultural relics in the exhibition hall of the Bronze Museum, but also a key exhibit in the special series of donated cultural relics of the Shanghai Museum.
Thick square tripod
The mouth edge is relatively wide, with two ears standing on top, edges and ridges placed at the four corners, a flat bottom, and four column feet placed below. The upper part of the column foot is decorated with a curled horned beast head, which is a trend in the early Western Zhou Dynasty tripod decoration. The four walls of the abdomen are adorned with animal face patterns, and the double horns of the animal face droop, making the style extremely rare. The inscription on the inner wall of the abdomen, consisting of five elements and thirty-four characters, records that in the year when the King of Zhou came to Chengzhou, Houxi received a gift from the Duke of Zhou as a tripod and as a sacrificial vessel for his father Xin. Based on the character relationships of the recorded events, it is inferred that the manufacturing period of the Fang Ding was during the reign of Emperor Zhaowang. The thick square cauldron was first seen in the Song Dynasty's "Classic Calligraphy of Zhong Ding and Yi Ware", and is one of the bronze artifacts that have been recorded in the Song Dynasty and have been preserved to this day. It is extremely precious.
The empress of the thick square tripod was collected by Mr. Li Yinxuan, a descendant of Li Hongzhang's family. Li Yinxuan has been fond of cultural relics and antiques since childhood, and has a comprehensive understanding of Chinese and foreign history. Throughout his life, he specialized in archaeology and collection. In 1979, Mrs. Li Yinxuan Qiu Hui donated more than 30000 cultural relics, including bronzes and coins, to the Shanghai Museum.
What is the meaning of animal facial patterns?
Animal face pattern is the most common theme decoration on bronze ware, which is mainly based on the frontal image of the animal's head. The animal face pattern has appeared on the jade and stone wares of the Neolithic, and is widely used on the bronze wares of the Shang and Zhou Dynasties.
The symbolic significance of animal face patterns has long been controversial in the academic community. Some scholars continue to use the view of the Song Dynasty that animal facial patterns are gluttonous (t ā o) The tie pattern is a type of cannibal monster in ancient books, symbolizing a warning against greed. More scholars believe that animal face patterns are a religious theme, and the decoration of animal face patterns on bronze vessels has a dignified and solemn atmosphere, which is suitable for use in ceremonial and sacrificial occasions.
Ma Chengyuan, a bronze expert and former curator of the Shanghai Museum, believes that the animal face pattern is actually the image of the Emperor of Heaven in ancient religion. Whether this conclusion is correct or not remains to be explored, but this viewpoint undoubtedly advances research on the connotation of animal facial patterns.
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