Ritual and History of Chinese Bronze Vessels

Chinese Ritual Vessel Catalog #: AS-1003 Size: H:8.5" L:10" W:3" Weight: 5.00 lbs click for details

Chinese Ritual Chariot Catalog #: AS-1002 Size: H:12" L:14" W:6" Weight: 5.50 lbs click for details

Ceremonial Chinese Vase Catalog #: VM-1006 Size: H:15" L:10" W:4" Weight: 8.00 lbs click for details

The evolution of the Chinese art of bronze casting spans thousands of years. No other ancient civilization can rival the quantity, decorative variety, and sheer technical advancements of objects created during the dynastic periods of the 17th to 1st centuries B.C. Archeological discoveries have revealed large quantities of ceremonial items, chariots and weaponry that are extremely elegant in form and finely decorated with symbols of political and religious power. Perhaps the most mysterious and elaborate findings are the vast number and array of ancient bronze ritual vessels. Embodied in magnificent shapes bearing exquisite motifs and inscriptions, these artifacts carry profound historical importance - and offer us a glimpse into the secrets and glory of China's ancient past.

During the Bronze Age of China (beginning at about the 21st century BC), civilization was made up of a slave society ruled by an all-powerful king and his nobles. It was believed that the king received his power from divine ancestors whose spirits could influence the course of important events. Lavish ritual feasts were often held at the ancestral shrine to honor and appease these spirits, and ornate bronze vessels were made to hold food and wine offerings. Ownership of such sacred vessels was restricted to the king, the royal family, and the aristocracy - creating the allusion that bronze was related to power and divinity.

Ancient rulers were also deeply concerned with ensuring their immortality. In addition to the practice of ancestral worship, bronze vessels were a vital part of the funeral or burial ritual. Convinced that they could carry material possessions to the next life, members of royalty were buried with much of their personal wealth, including ornate containers filled with food and wine. During the Shang Dynasty (16th-11th centuries BC), it was also customary to bury servants, bodyguards, horses, chariots, and charioteers with the deceased to ensure the safety and comfort of their passage. This ritual practice has provided us with the main source of significant archeological findings, as the burial custom acted to preserve the magnificent contents of ancient royal tombs over long periods of time.

Bronze ritual objects of these early dynastic periods were crafted in highly unusual yet specific shapes according to their function. Vessels for containing wine, water and cooked foods, varied widely in forms such as square, round, tripod, spouted and even animalistic shapes. The stress was always on the formal qualities of design - balance and symmetry - which communicated solemnity and ceremony. Elaborate decorations typically covered the surface, indicating how valued and important these vessels were. The traditional "taotie" or "beast of gluttony" image commonly appears as a theme throughout many centuries. This symbol, depicted as a pair of ferocious mythological creatures joined face-to-face, becomes more highly stylized and abstract in later periods - but the fixed, penetrating gaze of the bulging round eyes remains a constant feature. Scholars today still do not understand the entire meaning of this symbol, which adds to the mystery of the religious and ritual spirit of these ancient ritual vessels.

During the Zhou Dynasty, about 1027-221 BC, China gradually transformed from a slave society to a feudal class system, and the symbolic and religious significance of ritual vessels slowly diminished. These bronze objects became symbols of personal wealth and prestige-- as household decorations, gifts of state given to foreign rulers, and commemorative pieces for special events or battle victories. Most of these latter items carried long inscriptions which have become valuable records of early Chinese history. During the Han dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD), bronze was often replaced with terra cotta figurines and ceramic wares for burial rituals.

Today, the beauty of traditional Chinese bronze art lives on in many museums, galleries and antiquity collections. Modern replicas are still crafted in the ancient style, and are valued as culturally significant decorations for homes and businesses. From the artifacts once created to honor royal ancestors and comfort the deceased, we can learn about and enjoy the fascinating ways of life of ancient China.