Let's talk about the tiger pattern in Xinguan bronzes.

In 1989, Jiangxi Xin Gan Oceania unearthed 223 pieces of bronze weapons, accounting for nearly half of the number of this batch of bronze, battle-axe, spear, upsetting, go, trout, hook halberd, sword, knife, dagger, arrowheads and armor. They casting exquisite, beautiful shape, peculiar shape, a complete range, but also a number of new weapons. These sharp, strange shape of the bronze weapons show, as if a temperament, strong and heroic army appeared in front of us, but also give us a picture of the magnificent Shang Dynasty war scene. The battle-axe is a kind of long-handled chopping weapon. Its head is broad and flat, similar to a horizontal trapezoid, with a curved blade, flat shoulders, and a rectangular bar inserted into the handle. The battle-axe originally originated from the stone axe in the early and middle Neolithic period, evolved into the stone battle-axe and jade battle-axe in the late period, and the bronze battle-axe in the Shang and Zhou dynasties. The popular large-sized square bronze battle-axe in the Shang Dynasty was not applicable to actual combat, but was mainly used as a ceremonial weapon, a symbol of military unity and scarf, with the significance of the king's power, and the main conquest and punishment. The large bronze battle-axe of the Shang Dynasty was more than 30 centimeters in length, and there are only a few of them in existence. There are only 2 large-sized bronze battle-axes of 6 pieces unearthed in Xinguan Dayangzhou. The bronze battle-axe with the Megure pattern is 35.2 centimeters in height, 34.8 centimeters in blade width, 1 centimeter in shoulder thickness, and weighs 6 kilograms. The body is flat and nearly rectangular, with the length slightly greater than the width, and the upper part being thicker and the lower part being thinner. The upper center is protruding into the thicker part of the body, and there is a piercing in it, and there is also a piercing on each shoulder. The sides are tapered and the curved blade is the widest. The upper side and both sides are decorated with eyelet patterns, and the lateral ridges are embossed with fish-shaped geometric patterns. In the center of the battle-axe, a large mouth is cut out, the upper corner is curved, the lower corner is rounded, and there is a row of sharp teeth on each side of the top and bottom of the battle-axe, and the mouth is surrounded by a week-long geometric pattern in the shape of a fish. The large open mouth is a simple animal face, and only the shape of the mouth and teeth is taken. Another bronze battle-axe embedded with a red copper cloud pattern has a height of 36.5 centimeters, a blade width of 36.3 centimeters, a shoulder thickness of 1 centimeter, and a weight of 11.4 kilograms, making it the heaviest bronze battle-axe seen to date. The shape of the battle-axe is basically the same as that of the bronze battle-axe with the Megure pattern, but the body is thicker and heavier. The large open mouth is arranged with double rows of sharp teeth at the top and bottom, and there is a fish-shaped geometric pattern around the mouth. The upper side and both sides are decorated with cloud patterns, and the wide concave lines of the patterns are embedded with red copper (most of which is now corroded and lost). In the red copper under the white bright bronze decoration is very beautiful, dazzling, adding a sense of beauty and nobility, creating a solemn, solemn ceremonial atmosphere. It is one of the earliest Shang Dynasty artifacts in China to adopt the wrong metal craft. The bronze battle-axe with two axes is 14.2 centimeters long, 8.7 centimeters wide, 0.5 centimeters thick at the shoulder and weighs 205 grams. The upper part of the battle-axe is a flat round tubular axe which extends to the upper part of the body and is thickened along the periphery of the mouth. The body is flat and nearly rectangular, the two sides are gradually flared, and the lower curved blade is the widest, like a small shovel with folded shoulders. There is an ear protruding from each side, and the ear is hollowed out for a system. Most of the body is decorated with cloud pattern, the lower part of the body has animal face with eyes, nose and horns, the upper part of the animal face is abbreviated, the eyes are recognizable, and the nose is replaced by an axe. The two sides of the axe tube are decorated with banana leaf pattern, inside there is a scrolling cloud pattern, and the center axis is a fish-shaped geometric pattern. The surface of the vessel is black and shiny, and the blade is as sharp as before. This kind of straight eye-axe battle-axe is extremely rare, small in shape and beautifully decorated, and was used as a ceremonial weapon. Bronze spear appeared in the early Shang Dynasty, the body of the spear is like a leaf, both sides are the edge, the front is the front, the ridge of the leaf is extended for the glue, and the inside is hollow for the axe, which is used for the handle. The bronze spears we see today almost only have the spearheads, the handles have long since decayed. The bronze spears (spearheads) of Oceania have many different styles and distinct personalities. Leaf groove rhombus long bronze spear, 30.5 centimeters long, 2.7 centimeters wide, weighing 270 grams. The body is close to the willow leaf, the edge of the leaf is slightly curved, and the back edge is rounded. The rubber is about the same length as the leaf, and the cross-section is rhombic. In the center of the ridge, the back of the leaf has a willow leaf-shaped shallow groove. Short gum long leaf-shaped bronze spear, through the length of 25.2 centimeters, gum width of 4.1 centimeters, weighing 260 grams. The leaf is long and flat, pointed, with obvious ridges, straight edges, and a sharp front edge. The two longitudinal narrow and deep grooves at the end of the gum extend to the back of the leaf and converge acutely, with shallow grooves inside. The lower part of the groove has two threads, and the thread marks of a wide band are still left on the rubber. Four-pronged conical bronze spear, 16 centimeters in length, 1.8 centimeters in diameter, weighing 100 grams. The body for the slender four-angled conical, four sides straight, converging into a sharp front. Gum round hollow inside, the end of a thicker turn. The cross-section of the rubber end is hexagonal. Bronze spear is the most common weapon used in the Shang Dynasty, Oceania is also the case, the largest number, which fully illustrates the importance of the spear. Although the spear was used as the main weapon in both the northern and southern parts of the Shang Dynasty, and was used in conjunction with the go, the spear was more important in the southern part of the country. Through the different sizes and lengths, different shapes of leaves, changes in the form of blood grooves, the arrangement of the position of the double system, differences in decorative styles, and a variety of cross-section of the rubber axe, the Xinguan Oceania Bronze Spear constitutes a rich variety of styles of the Oceania Bronze Spear, some of which are in line with the needs of the battle, and some of which meet the form of ceremonial. The kind of flat rhombus-shaped part of the gum, the leaf for the willow leaf-shaped short gum spear, as well as the kind of semi-circular double system of the special short gum spear are not seen in the northern region, which is embedded in the turquoise geometric fish pattern highlights its unique local color; the kind of shaped conical body of the spear, but also the Oceania is unique, because this type of bronze spears in the northern region as late as the Spring and Autumn and Warring States period began to be popular. Although some of the bronze spears in Oceania are the same as those in the northern region, most of them have their own characteristics. This is not only the inheritance of the traditional weapons of the region's form, but also in order to adapt to the special geographical conditions of the southern region of rolling hills and rivers to create a new style of bronze spear, out of the free, can give full play to the power of assassination. Bronze spears with long handles and horizontal blades were first used in the Erlitou culture period, and have been used in the Warring States period and the Qin Dynasty. During the pre-Qin period, it was ranked as the first of the five types of weapons used in chariot warfare. Because of its horizontal edge and vertical shank, it could be used to hook and cut with the inner edge, to push the pestle and mortar with the outer edge, and to peck and strike with the front edge, which had a strong effect on fighting and killing. According to the form of its handle, the bronze go can be divided into straight go, curved go and axe go. Oceania excavated 25 pieces of bronze go, only the first two types, there is no axe go. Tiger's head curved inner bronze go, the overall length of 26.5 centimeters, aid width of 4.8 centimeters, weighing 270 grams. It is in the shape of a long straight bar. The body is slightly curved upward, and the lower edge is obvious. The middle ridge is a ridge, the front folded into a front, the upper and lower short appendages. The two sides of the back of the aid are decorated with a triangular animal-face pattern in the form of Yang line. The head of the inner end is curved and carved in the shape of a tiger's head, with round eyes and open mouth and sharp teeth. The animal face pattern and the eye of the tiger head are inlaid with turquoise, some have been lost. Fish head bronze go, 25.3 centimeters in length, 5.4 centimeters in width, weighing 240 grams. Aid edge nearly straight, narrowing forward, arc into a sharp, protruding for the ridge. There is an arrow-shaped shallow flat groove in the back of the aid, and there is a round penetration. Each side of the two sides is decorated with a variant of the curly-tailed dragon pattern. The upper appendage is short and the lower appendage is long. The inner part is narrow, with a rounded hole and a simple animal head at the end; the eye is in the center, with a circular cloud pattern, the port is open, and the upper jaw is rolled up. A bronze gorgon with two heads, 26.1 centimeters in length and 6.0 centimeters in width, weighing 330 grams. Aid in the raised into a ridge, triangular front, the latter part of the gradual broadening, the lower edge of the curved out slightly with Hu. The upper appendage survives, while the lower appendage remains. The inner part is narrower than the back, and the two sides of the rounded back are engraved with thick shaded patterns. Inside the square frame, there are two heads side by side, with large open mouths, oval eyes, outlined ears, and open frontal surfaces. Four ornaments are erected on the top of the head, curving outwards. Fish pattern short beard straight inside the bronze go, length 26.5 centimeters, aid width 5 centimeters, weight 160 grams. Long aid, short beard, triangular edge. Aid body on both sides of the concave blood groove in the shape of a fish-shaped geometric pattern, outlined in Yang line, the first half of the groove contains a small fish-shaped geometric pattern, the second half of the outline into a brief complete fish shape. There is a shallow concave groove with a flat inner ring and a semicircular outer ring, and all of the original turquoise inlays have been removed. A four-piece long bronze gorget, 22.5 centimeters in length and 5.5 centimeters in width, weighing 310 grams. Horizontal "Bu" shaped flat body. Aid long broad, narrowing forward, the front end folded into a triangular front. On both sides of the body, there is what appears to be a long arrow-shaped groove, with a pointed front and a split tail, within which there are three fine convex string lines converging forward, which are in fact deformed fish-shaped geometric patterns. This part of the bottle is pierced by a circle. Hu long and narrow, thin protruding prongs lateral appendage, appendage in front of four small rectangular perforations. The end of the remnants. The style of the Oceania Bronze Gog is also relatively rich, with different curved, straight and chime folds. The curved end is not like the curved end of the northern gorgon's arrogant sentence, but the front part is nearly straight, and only the end is curved. There are two kinds of curvature in the shape of tiger head and fish head, and the tiger and the fish are two kinds of animals that are particularly expressed on the bronzes of the Sinkiang Oceania, but the tiger head and the fish head on the go and the tiger and the fish head image of other objects are compared, both **** nature, but also individuality, and the flat pattern is composed of the lines of the same width and the edge is clear, and there is a three-dimensional effect in the mouth and the mouth. Straight within the Bronze Gao also has a lot of special features, more than half of the aid body has a raised Ming in the ridge of the narrow line, some aid body such as the leaf-shaped, these are the northern Central Plains Gao type of modification. A long bronze knife with a long strip, 25.7 centimeters in length, 3 centimeters in width, weighing 150 grams. It has a long, narrow and flat body. The middle part of the blade is slightly curved, the upper part is curled and hooked, and the lower part is curved. The dorsal surface is straight outside the curled head. There are obvious traces of a wooden handle on the back, and the two sides on the back are used for threading a rope to fix the knife. This kind of bronze knife is not a short weapon, inserted and tied to the long handle can be long-distance hacking, used to be seen in the neighboring areas of Jin and Shaanxi, with the style of the first Zhou. Bronze hook halberd, the overall length of 27.4 centimeters, the inner length of 6.6 centimeters, aid width of 7 centimeters, weighing 630 grams. Nearly "ten" flat body. The body is wide at the back and narrow at the front, with a triangular front. On both sides, there is a shallow, flat groove with a fish-shaped geometric pattern. This place extends upward, the top curls backward like a hook-shaped sharp thin scimitar; the lower extension of the Hu straight long and narrow. The back of the knife, the aid of this and Hu after a thinning of the narrow side, on which two rectangular perforations, easy to fix it in the secret. This shape of the hook halberd is a kind of straight inside go and long strip with a knife combined weapon, both the function of the two kinds of weapons. It and more wear long Hu Ge, with wear long knife as not seen in the Central Plains, but occasionally seen in the Shang around the region of the first Zhou culture. These weapons provide materials for the study of exchanges between the Wucheng culture and the Pre-Zhou culture in the Gan area during the Shang Dynasty. Experts further research found that as early as the Shang Dynasty, Jiangxi region through the Yangtze River and the Han River can reach the Hanzhong region in southern Shaanxi, and the first Zhou region of Shaanxi has a smooth communication channel. Knife, is a kind of ancient China's killing weapon, in the primitive society, a variety of materials made of knife is not only a tool of labor, but also a weapon of self-defense. Shang Dynasty bronze knives vary greatly in shape and size, about 30 centimeters or more as a weapon, suitable for melee hacking, small for the tool. The form of the knife can be categorized into three types according to the curvature of the spine: straight spine, curved spine, and straight spine and head. Sinkan Oceania has as a weapon with 13 big knife, are short handle warped head shape, the ridge or decorated with serrated, or decorated with convex fish-shaped geometric pattern, the blade is nearly straight, and the northern central Yinxu knives on the spine of the more hollow into a slice of the case of ribs, the blade more concave different. There are four knives in Oceania still with rings on the hilt, which can be seen that it was a stem wrapped with a wooden handle and coated with a bronze ring. Shang Dynasty excavated around the bronze knife, Xin Gan Oceania's largest number, the largest form, the most refined casting, the best preservation. Curved ridge head bronze knife, the length of 43.4 centimeters, the width of 7 centimeters, weighing 460 grams. The knife is wide at the back and narrow at the front, with a thick curved back and a thin straight blade. The head of the blade is pointed, and the body is concave and deep, like a crescent moon. The spine of the blade is slightly elevated, and the handle is straight. The ridge is decorated with serrated lines, and both sides are plain. Sword foot with a sharp edge double-edged weapon can be stabbed and killed by the handle (stem), sword body two parts. According to current information, the bronze sword probably originated in the late Shang and early Zhou. In the late Shang Dynasty, the sword is not popular in the northern region, occasionally seen as a spear-like short sword, the sword body for the long narrow triangle, oblique shoulder, flat stem, or a bell head. Xingan Oceania's wide-bodied bronze sword, 35.7 centimeters long, 8.4 centimeters wide, weighing 490 grams. Flat and long body. The body is flat and broad, wide in front and back, both edges are straight, and the curved edges at the front are connected to form a front. Body side of the center line raised into a ridge, the other side of the flat, shallow flat groove in the middle of the front, such as a bundle of the neck of the sharp-tailed fish. Its wide body single-sided blade, no grid without a head, flat stem can be installed wooden handle. The southern region of the mountains near the water, infantry fighting, close combat needs light and short weapons. This sword has two edges, for cutting and killing weapons, should belong to the sword category, not seen in other regions, which shows that the southern region flat stem sword appeared earlier than the central plains. The dagger is a kind of short weapon mainly for stabbing, suitable for close combat and self-defense, the shape is basically the same as the sword. Only shorter than the sword. Oceania's rolling clouds bronze dagger, 19.5 centimeters long, 1.2 centimeters wide, 0.15 centimeters thick, weighing 45 grams. It is flat and thin. One side is flat, one side is slightly curved out, both sides of the blade parallel, triangular sharp. Both sides of the body decorated with a triangular pattern of sunny lines and scrolling clouds. Daggers unearthed in other areas of the Shang Dynasty have their own characteristics, the Jin-Shaanxi junction of the spine, the Chengdu region for the willow leaf-shaped, Oceania's dagger shape is very different from them. Armor is a hat that protects the head and neck during battle, called helmet after the Warring States period, helmet during the Song Dynasty, and helmet after the Song Dynasty. The most primitive armor is made of rattan and leather, and it is only in the Shang Dynasty that there began to be bronze armor. Its dome, deep cavity, both sides can be down to cover the ears and the upper part of the neck, can effectively protect the head and neck. Shang Dynasty bronze armor is mainly concentrated in the Shang Dynasty capital city of Yinxu (present-day Henan Anyang), in 1935, Henan Anyang Houjiazhuang 1004 tomb unearthed more than 140 tops of bronze armor, other places less found. Most of these bronze armor of the Shang Dynasty are badly corroded and not quite complete. The ones unearthed in Oceania have smooth surfaces and are as good as new. Bronze armor with animal face pattern, 18.7 cm in height, 21 x 18.6 cm in caliber, weighing 2.21 grams. Its shape is rounded, hollow, with a flat rim. Carved in high relief with animal-face motifs, the thick single horn is rolled out, the rectangular round eye is placed horizontally, the scrolling cloud-like ear is erect, and the inwardly rolled nose and mouth are in the center. The rim is thickened by one week, and the front opening is closed in, like the cross-mouth of the animal face. From the front to the back of the center convex ridge, the top of a small round tube extends to insert the tassel decoration. There is a small hole on each side, which is fixed under the jaw with a rope. The top side of the animal horns have a small hole, used for ventilation. The design of the armor should not only consider the function of protection, especially the type of weapons in the battle and the way of killing and wounding, but also take into account the appearance of beautiful and suitable for wearing. This armor is handsome, light and comfortable, is the most beautiful bronze armor in existence, is a rare weapon. Bronze weapons is an important part of the new dry Oceania bronze, they are numerous, advanced casting, a wide range of exquisite and practical, reproduced the Shang Dynasty Jiangnan a strong military and national power, which is the solid foundation for the survival and development of the Bronze Age Fang Guo.