Chinese_Bronze

Jordan Steeves Chinese Culture History October 29, 2010 When walking through the Shanghai Museum: Bronze collection my gaze was immediately drawn to the Shang Dynasty bronze pou vessel with four ram heads. The magnificent craftsmanship runs through the walls of the vessel like veins of an infuriated bull. This vessel was from the Shang dynasty and showed distinctive characteristics of its brazen and exclusiveness. The perfectly preserved ram heads protruded from the vessels upper lip with authority undoubtedly reflecting how in battle the Shang would use chariots as mobile command vehicles or elite symbols. The rams also portrays how the Shang king would personally lead a force of about a thousand troops into battle. Below the ram heads are half spheres in which you would find on the outside of a shield and balanced the vessels lineage of curvature. Following the half spheres you will find spines that demand attention, going slim to wide as you venture up the sides. The spines represent the toughness of the Shang and compliment the symmetry as well as act as an indirect aesthetic path to the rams and finally the contents of the pot. The external artwork creates a daring aura and as you reach the rim of the vessel you look into the darkness and you can only imagine the majestic rulers whom stood in your very spot. The era of the Shang and the Zhou dynasties is generally known as the Bronze Age of China. The Shang dynasties most distinctive and characteristic methods of decorating the bronze vessels were the use of taotie. This consisted of a front facing view of an animal-like mask and a prominent pair of eyes, often protruding out with exaggeration and between the eyes is a nose, often with nostrils at the base. Other versions of taotie include a split animal-like body with legs and tail. Much of the beautiful work was credited to a process called piece- mold casting; this technique enabled the bronze worker to achieve a high degree of sharpness and definition in even the most intricate designs. Apart from the comprehensive craftsmanship and symbolist nature of the bronze pieces, there were many wine vessels found in the Shang and Xia, which appeared to be the drink of choice among the rulers. When moving to the Zhou dynasty the lack of wine vessels was clearly apparent and historians say the excessive wine consumption ultimately lead to the defeat to the Zhou. The Zhou’s bronze vessels and trinkets showed even more detail in there metal working skills and advancements of technology but the overall purpose for the vessels remained the same throughout the Xia, Shang and the Zhou. Throughout the Xia, Shang and Zhou, the attention to detail on each of their pieces continues to amaze me. The majority of the pieces in the Shanghai museum where either used to serve food or honor their spirits, and to show their dedication to their activities whether it be food or worship, they painstakingly designed each piece to be priceless.