Artistic Characteristics of Shang and Zhou Bronzes

Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin-lead. In the arts and crafts of early ancient China, bronze crafts became the typical representative of arts and crafts in the slave society is a great contribution of our ancestors to the material civilization of mankind. The Shang and Zhou periods were the Bronze Age in Chinese history, which was famous for its rich variety, beautiful modeling, gorgeous decorations, exquisite production and unique style. At this time is the smelting and casting technology can be said to have a sudden and violent development, in the application of a wide range of applicability. Become a part of Chinese art history. In this paper, the main representative works of bronze in the Shang and Zhou Dynasties: "Houmuwu dongfang ding", "Yu Ding" as an example, from the spirit of bronze as "ritual" art and bronze modeling, decorative art features to talk about the art of Shang and Zhou bronzes.

Ancient Chinese bronzes, in terms of the scale of use, casting technology, modeling art and varieties. Ancient Chinese bronzes occupy a unique position in the history of world art. The Shang and Zhou periods are the bronze age in Chinese history, and bronze was popular from the late Neolithic period to the Qin and Han periods. To the Shang and Zhou artifacts are the most exquisite, the variety has been very rich in a variety of models, and the emergence of inscriptions and fine patterns thick and heavy. Shang and Zhou bronze art decoration to take over the Neolithic art in a number of essence, after a long period of continuous change, the formation of a unique system, in the history of Chinese art as a component. During the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, the smelting of bronze reached its peak as a sign of productivity. It was the heyday of the development of ancient Chinese bronzes. The following is a discussion of the artistic characteristics of Shang and Zhou bronzes through Figure 1 of the heaviest bronze vessel of the late Shang Dynasty, the Simuwu Fang Ding, and Figure 2 of the heavy vessel of the early Western Zhou Bronze Ceremonial Vessel, the Dabu Ding.

I. Spiritual Characteristics of Shang and Zhou Bronzes as "Ritual Vessels"

The bulk of Chinese bronzes are bronze ritual vessels. This is an important feature of Chinese bronzes, and it plays a unique role in the world's bronze family. It is to emphasize the important role played by bronzes in the material culture of the society.

1. The Simuwu Fangding, the heaviest bronze vessel of the late Shang Dynasty in China, was unearthed in 1939 in Anyang, Henan Province. It is 133 centimeters high, 166 centimeters long and weighs 875 kilograms. It is the largest bronze vessel in existence, a large ritual vessel made for the Shang King Wendin to worship his mother "W". It is the largest bronze vessel in existence. With its calm and majestic spirit, heavy shape and gorgeous decoration, it is an example of the bronze style of the Shang Dynasty. On the inner wall of the tripod's belly, there is a three-character inscription "Simuwu", which gave the tripod its name. Bronze ritual vessels were used by the ruling class to offer sacrifices to heaven and ancestors, to entertain guests, to sing praises of virtues, and to be buried in the ground after death. Obviously, it served the slavery rule. For a slave state, bronze rituals, especially like the tripod and other heavy instruments is the symbol of the gods of earth and grain, its survival is the survival of the country, so the ancient books have "Jie have faint virtue, tripod moved in the Shang", "Shang Zhou tyrannical, tripod moved in the Zhou" said.

2, "Big Bon Tripod" Big Bon Tripod is a heavy bronze ceremonial vessel in the early Western Zhou Dynasty, which was named after the minister of the King of Kang, the name of Bon, indicating that the King of Kang (grandson of the King of Wu) should take the King of Wen as a model, and the Bon should take the example of the grandfather, Duke of Nam, as well. For a slave-owning aristocracy and their families, bronze ritual vessels were also a symbol of their identity and status. According to documents, the Son of Heaven used nine tripods, the vassal seven, the minister five, and the scholar three, and had to abide by the law without transgressing it. This is so in life, after death burial is also so. So the bronze ritual was institutionalized, mystification, power, it is not a general utility. In the form, decoration of the casting we can not simply use the eye to treat the utility to look at, this is what we must pay attention to in the identification. A lot of artifacts in the form of decoration shows that it is not suitable for life, the reason is here. In the bronze ritual objects, all levels of slave owners and aristocrats put their creed and expectations, reflecting their ideology. When such requirements were not sufficiently expressed in form and ornamentation, they were appealed to in writing. This is one of the reasons why there are so many inscriptions on Chinese bronzes. Bronze is material, but at the same time is a spiritual product.

Two, the Shang and Zhou bronze styling and decorative art features

From the point of view of the plastic arts, many bronzes are fine arts and crafts. Generation of bronze casting methods and modeling and decorative methods of the close connection between the tradition of combining art and technology in Chinese arts and crafts. Formation of a unique system. From the decoration of the bronzes, there are taotie pattern, thunder pattern, string pattern, fish pattern, bird pattern, turtle pattern and so on.

1, for example: "Si Muwu square tripod", "big Yu Ding" these two pieces of bronze styling and decoration in the mouth, the top cover, the edge of the casting is also more vivid shape, the animal's harsh horns and claws, curled wings and tails, round eyes, sharp teeth, etc. is often intentionally to highlight the performance. More often than not, the two sideways kui forms, centered on the pronged nose, are butted together to form a frontal taotie, also with sharp horns, rounded eyes, grimacing teeth, and wide-open claws. Among the many shapes, the Taotie image is the most terrifying, this shape is often seen, and are engraved on the noble and solemn ritual objects. Over time, the taotie has been refined into a comprehensive and strange animal face. It can be seen that the animal face pattern is indeed a symbol of divine kingship. When the monarch grasped the beast-face artifact, it meant that man and god were united, supreme and noble, i.e., he possessed the power of god, and also became the son of god and his incarnation.

2, the Shang and Zhou bronze ceremonial vessels in the animal face pattern is the most important theme and pattern example: "Si Muwu square tripod", "big Yu Ding". At the same time also with the human face pattern, bird pattern, kui, dragon pattern, alternating interpenetration, plausible but not, with the evolution of the variants of the various shapes, always occupy the dominant position of the symbol of the gods. The shape of most of the ornaments are animal face pattern in the center, nose, mouth vertical casement rib symmetrical on both sides, accompanied by the subtitle of the pattern is embellished in a secondary position. These cold god shape, are more to give people a majestic and mysterious eerie color.

The Shang and Zhou bronzes are a concentrated reflection of the level of development of production technology and art in China during the Shang and Zhou Dynasties. Created to hide the beauty of the aesthetic culture fashion also presents the brutal nature of slavery in China. In summary, the bronze art of the Shang and Zhou dynasties is a brilliant pearl. It is known for its rich categories, beautiful shape, gorgeous decoration, exquisite production, unique style, occupies a unique position in the history of world art.