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The Art of Chinese Bronzes
- Ancient Chinese Bronze Artwork
There is a symbolic design used in Chinese sacrificial bronzes 3,000 years ago that combines all sorts of animal characteristics found in the natural world into one ferocious creature.
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The
Art of Chinese Bronzes -
Ancient Chinese Bronze Artwork
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There is a symbolic
design used in Chinese sacrificial bronzes 3,000 years
ago that combines all sorts of animal characteristics
found in the natural world into one ferocious creature--the
t'ao-t'ieh , or ``beast of gluttony.'' Set in a fiercely
blazing fire, the beast's bulging eyes glared straight
at the observer, his great mouth gaped in a wide grin,
flashing saber-like teeth. His stiletto claws were exposed
and poised for action, and a pair of ears or horns protruded
from his head. Ferocious a sight as it was, it conveyed
mystery and beauty. The t'ao-t'ieh design is one of the
most fantastic and imaginative to be found among Chinese
bronze designs. It uniquely communicates the religious
and ritual spirit of ancient Chinese bronze vessels. |
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Bronze is an alloy
of copper, tin, and a small amount of lead. Its appearance
signaled the advancement in human culture from the Stone
Age to the Bronze Age. For the approximately 2,000 years
between the 17th century B.C. up until the Han Dynasty
(206 B.C.-200 A.D.), the Chinese people used rare and precious
bronze to cast large quantities of ritual vessels, musical
instruments, and weapons that were elegant in form, finely
decorated, and clearly inscribed with Chinese characters.
They affirm the artistic achievement of ancient China ,
and demonstrate how early Chinese used their ingenuity
to create works incorporating both science and art from
resources in nature. |
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In the ritualistic
society of ancient China , bronze was employed primarily
for the casting of ceremonial temple vessels used in sacrifices
to the goods of heaven, earth, the mountains, and rivers.
They were also used in vessels for banquets, honor awards,
and funerals for the nobility. Because bronze is a durable
material resistant to cracking and breakage, it was used
by kings to cast inscribed vessels honoring the ancestors
of dukes, princes, and ministers who had made a great contribution
to their nation or sovereign, to establish a model and
reminder for alter generations. The world-famous Mo Kung
Ting , for example, a bronze tripod on display at the National
Palace Museum in Taipei , was imperially commissioned.
On the tripod interior is an inscription 497 characters
in length, divided into 32 lines and two halves, extending
from the mouth of the vessel to the bottom interior. The
inscription is the imperial mandate for the casting of
the vessel, written in a stately and powerful tone. The
inscription on this particular vessel is the longest among
bronzes that have been unearthed so far. |
Bronzes
can be classed into four main types, based on function:
food vessels, wine vessels, water vessels, and musical
instruments. Within each type, endless variation
is to be found in form and design, fully demonstrating
the rich imagination and creativity of the Chinese
of the time. The kuei, for example, was a container
for cooked millet that came in many different styles,
equivalent to today's containers for cooked rice.
Some had a circular base to stabilize the vessel
belly; others had a heavy square base added onto
the circular base, in a graceful contrast of geometrical
form. The ting was a tripod vessel used for cooking,
with a pair of knobs protruding from the mouth to
facilitate handling. The three legs held the vessel
at just the proper distance from the fire for cooking
meat. The ch1eh was a vessel especially designed
for heating and drinking wine; it had a pour spout
and side handles. The three legs facilitated warming
the wine. The tsun was a major type of wine container
that was either round or square in shape, or had
a round mouth and square base. Ancient Chinese bronzes
stressed balance and symmetry of form, and communicated
solemnity and ceremony. |
Bronzeware
of " Tigher eats man" (Click to Zoom In)
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| In most of the line designs
used on bronzes, a main motif combines with a border
design, pointing up its three-dimensional character.
The ``beast of gluttony'' design was the most prominent
in Shang Dynasty (16th-11th centuries B.C.) vessels.
A side view of two separate symmetrical beasts was
embossed on the vessel; when viewed together from the
front, they combined their features into one beast.
After the Western Chou period (11th century B.C. to
771 B.C.), bird designs gradually came to be used for
decorative main designs, still maintaining the principle
of symmetry. After the mid and late Western Chou period,
chain link patterns, fish scale patterns, and wave
patterns for the most part superseded animals as subject
matter for the main design of bronze vessels. The principle
of symmetry began at this point to be broken, and substituted
by repeating chain link or band designs that encircled
the vessel body. After the mid-Spring and Autumn period
(770-476 B.C.), the most frequently used design was
a vertically interlocking geometrical animal band design.
In the Shang Dynasty, the border design used to complement
the main design was usually clouds and lightning. Beginning
in the mid-Western Chou, the designs became increasingly
spare, and border design eventually fell into disuse.
After the Spring and Autumn period, the ``sprouting
grain'' and other designs began appearing in borders. |
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The
techniques used in executing the various bronze designs
went from the engraved lines and embossed designs used
in the earlier periods, to deep relief and three dimensional
sculpture-like designs, and eventually even to inlaid designs.
Materials used for inlaid work included gold, silver, copper,
and turquoise. Subject matter for inlaid work included
animals, along with interlocking geometrical shapes based
on straight lines, diagonal lines, and whorled lines. These
were all added purely for decorative purposes, and were
intricately and handsomely crafted. |
Over
the millennia, bronze articles exposed to high humidity
or buried underground undergo a natural change in which
they develop a bright and beautiful coating, or patina.
The patina serves to protect the metal underneath from
further damage. The color itself, however, which may range
from rouge red to emerald green to sapphire blue, imparts
added beauty and elegance to the vessel. Chinese are particularly
fond of this colorful coating, and preserve it intact. |
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In the Republic
of China today, the beauty of traditional bronze art is
still to be found in incense burners and sacrificial vessels
in temples, in statues on display in schools, or in decorative
pieces in homes; all have been influenced by the art of
China 's ancient bronzes. Free application of traditional
bronze designs has become an indispensable element of modern
architecture, apparel, and furniture design. This is one
way that the brilliance and artistry of the early Chinese
continue their everlasting shine into the lives of Chinese
today and of the future. |
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