What are the artistic features of the bronze knight, a symbol of civilization from primitive to civilized?

As an important stage in the history of human development, the Bronze Age occupies an important position in history. There are different opinions about the starting time of the Bronze Age in China. As early as 3000 BC, China had mastered the bronze smelting technology.

/kloc-since 0/959, archaeologists have made scientific excavations at Erlitou site in Yanshi, Luoyang. Archaeologists have successfully unearthed a large number of bronze ritual vessels, weapons and ornaments, so they named it Erlitou culture, which belongs to the early bronze age culture in China and is of great significance.

In the Bronze Age, as the name implies, a large number of bronzes made of copper and tin were produced. These bronzes have different uses. We divide them into the following seven categories: cookers, wine containers, water containers, musical instruments, weapons, ritual vessels and daily utensils. Among them, wine vessels are divided into wine vessels, wine containers, drinking fountains and wine storage vessels according to their uses.

Here, this article will introduce in detail? An important character, the bronze knight.

First, the origin of Xia, Shang and Zhou bronze knights

Why is Du Kang the only solution? . The ancients loved drinking, even to the point of infatuation. Since the day when brewing technology was invented, wine has been attached to people. In the history of China, wine has made a great contribution. Grain brewing began in the Yin and Shang Dynasties, when bronzes prevailed and reached their peak.

Bronzes are not only used as musical instruments and ritual vessels in society, but also as daily necessities in the life of the aristocratic class, so bronze vessels used for holding wine are officially produced. The ancients loved to create and made these bronze wine vessels exquisite and beautiful. And these bronze wine vessels are Zun, Fang Yi, Hu, Zun [yǒu] and Qiang [l? I], but [b? ], [g not ng], and [h? ], respect [fǒu]. Do you have a drinking fountain? Master Wu? They are Jue, Jiao, Yi [gū], Yun [Ji ǐ] and Yan [zh? ]。

Among them, due to the respect for ghosts and gods in the Yin and Shang Dynasties, bronze knights, as an important ritual vessel, frequently appeared in sacrificial occasions, and only nobles used it as a drinking utensil. With the passage of history, bronzes gradually disappeared from history. Bronze Knights, with their special and multifaceted functions, became the main representative of bronzes, symbolizing the transition from primitive to civilized in ancient China, and a great symbol of Chinese civilization.

Second, the role of bronze knights

(1), the role of bronze knights as wine vessels: drinking, cooking and filtering wine.

The bronze knight has a chute for pouring wine on the front, a pointed tail on the back, a groove for holding wine in the middle, a pin (the part held by hand on the side of the vessel) on one side and three legs on the lower part to keep the knight's overall balance and facilitate him to stand on the table. In our minds, there may be a three-dimensional picture of the bronze knight. Bronze knights are different from ordinary drinking fountains. It doesn't seem suitable for drinking. Some scholars have also found that the shape of bronze knights is really inconvenient to drink.

Mr. Ye Fu, a scholar from Taiwan Province Province, China, said? When we took the Jue to drink, we felt that there was an obstacle ahead. If the right hand lifts the Jue from the spout to our mouth, then we can only drink two-thirds of the wine in the Jue at most, and then the two pillars on the Jue mouth come to our eyes. At this time, if you straighten your head, you can only drink four-fifths of the wine, and you should drink all the wine in the club. However, these two pillars have also reached our eyes, which is really an eyesore. ?

But at the same time, Xu Shen's Shuowen? In Babu, however, the bronze knight of Shang and Zhou Dynasties was considered as a drinking vessel. Jue, ritual vessels, also shaped like Jue. There is wine in it. Also, hold it, just drink it like this. Those who are like knights take their songs for granted. ?

In addition, some people think that the bronze Jue belongs to the apparatus for cooking wine, while others think that the bronze Jue belongs to the apparatus for filtering wine. There are different opinions about the function of bronze knight, but in general, it is nothing more than drinking, cooking and filtering wine.

(2) The role of the bronze knight as a ritual vessel: a special ritual vessel for major occasions such as sacrifice.

No matter in Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties, bronze knights, as exclusive drinking utensils of the aristocratic class, are very precious. On some important occasions, such as alliance, parting, triumph, celebration banquet, etc. The bronze Jue appeared as a wine vessel, but its identity changed at this time. At this time, the bronze Jue was a special ritual vessel for major occasions.

Especially on the important occasions of sacrifice, people regard bronze knights as special sacrificial vessels for offering incense and wine to the gods. Most bronze knights have various exquisite totems on their surfaces, symbolizing respect for the gods. After the death of some nobles or monarchs in Shang Dynasty and Western Zhou Dynasty, bronze knights were indispensable in their funerary objects.

Third, the artistic characteristics of bronze knights in different times.

The development of ancient Chinese bronzes has a long history and eternal artistic characteristics, and bronzes themselves have their own stages of development, among which the most brilliant development is? Bronze baron? . With the different times and drinking utensils, bronze knights experienced Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties from appearance to disappearance, and the shapes and characteristics of bronze knights in each era were different.

The earliest bronze ritual vessel in Erlitou culture period was Bronze Jue, with no decorative pattern on the surface and a relatively flat shape, bearing three feet. Bronze knights in Shang Dynasty were large in size, with vortex patterns, animal faces and inscriptions. The surface of the bronze duke of the Western Zhou Dynasty began to show bird patterns, the wall became thicker and thicker, and his abdomen drooped.

When the bronze smelting technology gradually matured, decorative patterns of animals began to appear on bronzes, which indicated that the decoration on bronzes gradually matured in the Bronze Age and had China characteristics. The wine culture in the history of China was born in the Bronze Age. As the most striking bronze ware in wine culture, Qingtongjue bears witness to the long history of China traditional culture.

4. Why did ancient titles originate from bronze knights?

Bronze Jue appeared in Erlitou culture and was one of the earliest bronze containers discovered in China. In ancient times, the concept of seniority and etiquette was emphasized, so bronze knights did not use wine specifically, but focused on? A gift? . The aristocratic class has different grades, so the bronze knights they use on important occasions are also divided into different grades.

As we all know, in the Western Zhou Dynasty, there was a five-grade title system.

Book of rites What is recorded in "The King System"? Lu Jue's monarchy: male, Hou, Bo, Zi, Gong, etc. ? There are also words such as appellation in modern Chinese. In fact, as early as the Xia Dynasty, bronze knights had become a symbol of aristocratic status. In the tombs of Erlitou site, there must be a bronze Jue in the containers buried with him, which is the origin of wine vessels in Shang Dynasty. In the Book of Rites? There is a record in the ritual vessel:? Sacrifice in the ancestral temple, the nobles offer knights, and the bitches offer them away. Noble people raise flags, and humble people raise horns. ?

It can be seen that at banquets such as sacrifices, the wine vessels used vary according to the identity of the participants, and only noble nobles can use bronze knights.

Therefore, the bronze knight had a very high position in the hearts of the ancients. In the Western Zhou Dynasty, the bronze knight was the most advanced wine glass, and it would be a great honor for the nobles to own it. Once the monarch rewards his officials with a bronze knight, it will be a kind of luck and trust. Thus, the ancient bronze knight? A gift? Under the system of lofty status.