Bronze Wine Vessels

Ancient Chinese learned the ant of brewery very early. Archeologists discovered the components of ancient wine featuring rice, honey, fruit and barley through the analysis of pottery of Longshan Culture in the late Neolithic Age.

According to ancient literature, traders enjoyed drinking. Emperor Zhouwang of the Shang Dynasty even built a wine pond and meat mountain for dining and wining day and night. Under such social customs, bronze wine vessels were quite developed in the Shang Dynasty, becoming the most important ware for sacrificing deities and ancestors .

In the early period of the Western Zhou, the emperor, taking into consideration that excessive drinking in the Shang Dynasty caused early deaths, gave the order for prohibition during routine life. Thus, the quantity and variety of bronze wine vessels in the Western Zhou greatly dropped. Food vessels instead became the dominant bronze ware in the Western Zhou instead of wine vessels in the Shang Dynasty. However, wine vessels were important ritual ware for that period.

There are various wine vessels and simply classified into two categories for easy identification. One is called hoop-legged ware, the other is named three-legged ware. Functionally, they can be categorized into wine vessels for drinking, heating, holding and blending.

Gu, Zhi

Gu,a general hoop leg wine beaker, connects the trumpet-like mouth with the hoop leg with a short cylindrical belly. The part above the belly was used for steady placement, showcasing a straight and slender image.

The shape of bronze Gu borrowed the inspiration of the pottery Gu in primitive society. Early ones were stout, and its shape was greatly improved through constant development after the middle period of the Shang Dynasty. The spout is adormed with a banana leaf pattern with an outward expansion effect. The arris of the Gu were applied on the peripheral to show a colored and beautiful contour. The constant and diversified contour line continued to the vessel’s bottom, forming a powerful square arris.

Shang. Huang Gu 27.3cm high, and weighs 1.4kg. Kept in Shanghai Museum.

Westerm Zhou. Fugeng Zhi 14.9cm high, spout diameter 7.6cm, bottom diameter 5.1cm,340g heavy. Kept in Shanghai Museum.

In total,53 pieces of Gu, boasting the largest number of all kinds of bronze wine vessels in one place, were unearthed from the Fuhao tomb of the Shang Dynasty. Different shapes and proper proportions displayed the designers’ and makers’ workmanship.

After the Eastern Dynasty, the Qi’ er beaker replaced the bronze Gu, arousing Confucius’ lament of “Gu does not looks like a Gu. How can it be called Gu any more?”It also reflected the downfall of ritual and musical practice.

Zhi, similar to Gu in shape, is smaller in volume and lower for the center of gravity. The upper part expands outward, the middle part narrows while the lower part is shaped like an egg with a short hoop leg for support, creating a beautiful image.

Zun

Zun, Lei and You are all large wine-holding vessels derived from Gu-like hoop-legged vessels.

Zun, with a shape similar with Gu, has a large volume and features two basic patterns, square and round.

The features of Zun were defined very early. Dragon and Tiger Zun, Four-goat Square Zun and other successful works were made in the Shang Dynasty. The shape and design primarily took the practical function into consideration and strengthen its spiritual influence in the detail process.

Four-goat Square Zun, unearthed in Ningxiang, Hunan, measuring 58.3cm in height,52.4cm in spout length and 34.5kg in weight, is a masterpiece of square Zun due to its grandeur and majesty. The upper part has eight ridges extending to the rim, responding to the square shape at the bottom, showing a grand and solemn visual effect.

The shoulder and belly parts of the Four-goat Square Zun are most vivid. Each of the four sides of the belly has a big horn-curled goat. The goats’ heads are protruding, and the curled horns enrich the three-dimensional effect of the design. The goats’ shoulders are adorned with bird patterns, and the hoofs are cast with the hoop leg. Although each goat is only half outlined, the combination of goats gives a complete impression. Each side of the shoulder of the Zun has a dragon, with a dragon’s head at the joint part of two goats, showing variations among integration.

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Shang. Four-goat Square Zun 58.3cm high, spout 52.4cm long, and weighs 34.5kg. Excavated from Yueshanpu, Ningxiang, Hunan Province in 1938. Kept in the National Museum of China.

Dragon-Tiger Zun, unearthed in Funan, Anhui, is a typical round Zun with a big spout, wide shoulder and high hoop leg. Different with the fine patterns on the Four-goat Square Zun, the upper part is smooth with only three protruding string patterns on the neck to respond to the upper string pattern.A half-moon arc starts from the rim, changes to a bow-shaped arc at the shoulder part and then the hoop leg steadily supports the body,indicating a nice contour with abundant internal strength.

The shoulder and belly are the most wonderful parts of the Dragon-Tiger Zun. At the shoulder, there are three relief dragons with protruding heads as the adornments for the sacrificial ware. The belly under the dragons’ heads is divided into three independent parts with one head and two tigers on each part. The tigers hold nude tattooed figures with curled arms and legs in the animals’ mouths. Reversed Kuilong are on both sides of the figures and combined with the neighboring Kuilong into a Taotie pattern. If the Zun is tuuned 90 degrees, the upper dragons’ heads and the lower Taotie pattern become the obverse decoration and the protruding tiger heads the accessory adornments. The exquisite design indicates that bronze smiths in the Shang Dynasty paid great attention to the appreciation effect from multiple angles.

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Shang. Dragon-Tiger Zun 50.5cm high, spout diameter 44.7cm, and weighs about 20kg. Unearthed from Funan, Anhui Province in 1957. Kept in the National Museum of China.

The Zenghou Yi Zun Pan in the early period of the Warring States is the most sophisticated and complicated one. It was in the Pan(tray) when unearthed, and also called Pan Zun. The body applies oval casting and the spout uses the lost wax method to produce hollow accessory adormments. The inner layer applies a hollow network structure, and the outer layer uses copper wires to connect with each other, forming avivid Panhui(lizard) pattern. Looking from the spout, it seems like a beautiful solid flower ring. Multiple solid adornments are attached to the Zun with four dragon-shaped ears on the neck and four two-bodied lively dragons on the belly and legs welded to the body. The Pan, using the same cast process with the Zun, appliesthe combination and overlapping different-sized dragon-shaped pieces, showing an intense visually shocking appearance. The casting technology was too sophisticated to be achieved by the later generations.

Warring States Period. Zenghou Yi Zun Pan The Zun is 30.1cm high, while the Pan is 23.5cm high. Unearthed from the tomb of Zenghou Yi, Suixian, Hubei Province in 1978. Kept in Hubei Museum.

The Zenghou Yi Zun Pan, as the fruit of numerous masters’ efforts, embodies the new achievements of the Warring States Period. However, artistically, it seems a little complicated and impractical.

Lei, You

Lei, coordinating with Zun in application, has a similar design with Zun. Zun has an open spout, while the Lei a small spout with a lid for holding wine without volatility. The Lei has a wide shoulder and narrow bottom with a hoop leg to keep a steady position after it is filled with wine. Both sides of the shoulder have two beasts’head ears, and the beast’s nose is like a button installed on the bottom of the belly, for the convenience of binding and lifting.

Western Zhou. Lei with Dragon Lid and Animal Face Patterm 44.5cm high, spout diameter 15.3cm. Excavated from Beidong, Kazuo county, Liaoning Province in 1973. Kept in Liaoning Museum.

In the Shang and Zhou dynasties, some of Lei are beautiful, and some are plain. Dragon lid and beast face Lei unearthed in Kazuo, Liaoning and Pengxian, Sichuan is elegant and dignified. The round carved dragon on the lid, turned back to look at from behind, is very lively. The shoulder part is decorated with a typical Kuilong design popular in the Western Dynasty.

You, was an article for holding Juchang,a kind of valuable wine brewed from black millet and vanilla.

Four sides of You are installed with rods for lifting. It had many varieties in the Shang Dynasty. Some are square, round, oval, cylindrical or bird-and beast-like. Round neck and square belly You with a crossing hole in the belly were also found. You and Zun were used together in the Western Zhou, starting with one Zun and two You set to one Zun and one You set.

Shang. Bronze Square You with Cross-shaped Hole 27.8cm high. Unearthed from Dayangzhou, Xingan county, Jiangxi Province 1989. Kept in Jiangxi Museum.

Kettle

The kettle, sometimes deemed a water vessel, was a kind of important hoop-leg wine vessel. There was a large number and variety shapes. The early kettle, referring to the shape of Zhi and You, is slender in shape with the center of gravity at the center of the belly. After the middle period of the Western Zhou Dynasty, the shape changed, showing a long neck, round belly and the downward center of gravity.

A pair of Xing Kettles, unearthed in Fufeng, Shaanxi made in middle Western Zhou, can hold a large volume and are elegant in shape. The neck is slender. The center of gravity of the kettle is at the lower belly. The top lid and the lower hoop leg respond with each other in shape. Three layers of smooth and broad ripple patterns are adormed on the body under the backdrop of cloud patterns. It looks solemn and lively in appearance. The shape and designs have profound influences on the fine arts of the later generation. For example, the shape of the porcelain of Jade Kettle Spring Vase and garlic-shape vase may be sourced back to the Xing Kettle.

Western Zhou. Three-year Xing Kettle 65.4cm high, and weighs 25.5kg. Excavated from Fufeng county, Shaanxi Province in 1976. Kept in Zhouyuan Cultural Relics Administration. On the outer surface of the lid there are 60 Chinese characters in 12 lines, recording that the noble Xing was awarded in the third year feasting rites of the Emperor of Zhou Dynasty and made the vessel for ancestral sacrifices.

Song Kettle(made by Song craftsman) is a representative of the popular kettles in the Western Zhou.

There are only two existing Song Kettles, one in the National Museum of China and the other in the National Palace Museum, Taipei. The Song Kettle has a square shape and round cormers, indicating the same design concept with Xing Kettle. Its eye-catching features are four one-headed and two-bodied dragons surrounding the ware with ripple patterns on the neck, showing a harmonious design combination. Some square kettles in the late Zhou Dynasty are similar with the Song Kettle in shape. But a range of ribbon-like mountain shapes was designed on the lid. Some were hollowed for a transparent and hollow effect.

Spring and Autumn Period. Standing Crane Square Ketle 126cm high, and weighs 64.28kg. Unearthed in a pair from Lijialou, Xinzheng, Henan Province. Kept in the Palace Museum and Henan Museum.

Lengthy inscriptions of regular characters were cast on kettles, Song Kettles and other ware, indirectly reflected its important position in grand ceremonies.

After the Spring and Autumn Period, kettles tended to be complicated and noble.A pair of Standing Crane Square Kettles, unearthed in Xinzheng, Henan, are pioneering work in art vogue. The big kettle is full of dragon and phoenix relief patterns and solid adormments on the surface. On the lid,a crane stands on a two-layered lotus flower. The crane is completely realistic, showing a fresh and nice image under the backdrop of eerie and mysterious designs. Two small beasts are crawling to support the hoop leg of the kettle. The beasts look aside and make faces. It seems that the 64.28kg kettle they are carying is very light.

Lianjin Kettles, unearthed from Zenghou Yi Tomb, Suixian County, Hubei, were made in the early Warring States Period and known as the biggest bronze kettle to date. Two kettles were cast in the same Jin (seat), measuring 112.2cm in height and 240.2kg in weight.

Jue, Jia, He

The number of three-legged wine vessels is less than hoop-legged ones. Jue and Jiao are the main vessels for drinking and Jia for heating and He for blending.

Jue is quite beautiful in shape. The Jue pottery in primitive society is a direct reference for bronze Juewhich is more delicate in detail for practical use under the precondition of full use of bronze material.

Bronze Jue made a debut in the Erlitou Culture Period. Erlitou was the remnant of the Xia Dynasty. Theshape of the Jue was simple then and not harmonious in proportion. But the general shape was defined. The belly is oval, and the mouth has a spout and tail on both sides for balance. Two small columns are erected at the joint of the back of spout and the mouth of the Jue.A Pan (handle) was placed on a side of the belly for holding. Three legs under the belly extend outward for steady standing and easy heating, showing a high-rise and upright visual effect.

Shang. Jue 38.7cm high,21.5cm long from the spout to the tail. Unearthed in Guanyi village, Feixi, Anhui. Kept in Anhui Museum.

Jiao, also a kind of vessel for drinking wine, came out of the basis of Jue. The main part of the Jiao is similar with the Jue, but not having spouts and columns.

Jia,a large vessel for warming spirits, can be divided into round Jia and square Jia, with an even spout, or without spout and tail. The poles on the rim are robust with a cap decoration in the shape of a mushroom, tower or umbrella. Some Jia are huge, for example, among the 12 bronze Jia unearthed from Fuhao tomb of the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC), eight are 60cm high and weigh about 20kg. Some large Jia follows the shape of Zun(square wine vessel) with rods on the rim with a tower-shaped cap, and neck in the shape of robust arc.

The part between Jia belly and the legs stretches in a straight line robustly. On the handle lies animal heads with erected ears. Generally, the Jia leaves a robust and powerful impression.

Shang. Fuhao Square Jia 68.8cm high, and weighs 18.3kg. Unearthed from the Fuhao tomb, Anyang, Henan Province in 1976.

Kept in the National Museum of China.

He is an ancient utensil designed for adding water to wine to adjust the concentration of wine and for warming the beverage. Its spout is capped with a pipe-shaped spout on top or in front. The utensil has three or four legs.A Ta He of the late Western Zhou Dynasty (1046-771 BC) is very interesting: the vessel’s belly isround and flat with bird-shaped cap on the top,a spout in the shape of an animal which protrudes forward, while the handle is a dragon looking back. The item has four legs in the shape of paw. The utensil is in a pose of moving forward.

Western Zhou. Ta He 37.5cm high. Unearthed from Fufeng county, Shaanxi Province in 1963. Kept in Shaanxi Museum.

Bird and animal Zun

The most splendid and the most mysterious bronze wine vessel of the Shang and Zhou dynasties is the ritual item named bird and animal Zun.

The book Rites of Zhou mentioned that ritual vessels used in the sacrificial activities of the ancient peopleconsisted of “six Zun and six Yi(wine vessel),”including the chicken Yi, bird Yi, elephant Zun and tiger Yi, and so forth. There do exist bronze vessels in the shape of chicken, bird, elephant and tiger, corroborating the literature records. But the other names mentioned in the literature such as Huang Yi and Shan Zun are still unknown as to what specifically they look like despite textual research made by historical scholars. Among the unearthed bird and animal Zun are Ju Zun(colt Zun) and Xi Zun(rhinoceros Zun) which are not included in the literature.

Animals such as ox, sheep, pig, chicken and dog, the prototype of the bird and animal Zun, are the “Five Sacrifices”used in sacrificial activities in ancient times. Others such as rhinoceroses, elephants and tigers were rare animals and especially cast for presenting to deities.

Shang. Fuhao Xiao Zun 45.9cm high, and weighs 16.7kg. Excavated from the Fuhao tomb, Anyang, Henan Province in 1976.

Kept in the National Museum of China.A pair of Zun was unearthed. Fu Hao was inscribed inside the mouth of the vessel.

The bird and animal Zun were popular in the Shang and Western Zhou dynasties. Some extant works weretaken out of China and are currently displayed in some famous museums around the world. They feature true-life romance and can be regarded as sculpture works.

The bird Zun in the Shang Dynasty is mostly in the shape of a sparrow, hawk or owl, mainly unearthed from southern China such as Hunan. Xiao Zun follows the look of an owl with both eyes in front, symmetrical

feathers growing around the eyeballs, protruding ear feathers and sharp beak. The vessel mouth is at the neck.

Normally the work is decorated with images of Taotie (mythical ferocious animal), Kuilong(one-legged monsterin a fable), bird and snake, and so on. Some have animal-shaped decoration at the cap or other parts acting as the handle.

A pair of Xiao Zun, unearthed from Fuhao tomb, Yinxu of Anyang, is quite large,45.9cm in height. The Zun is in the shape of a squatted Xiao with its legs and tail as the support,a tall corona on the head decorated with a headstand Kuilong pattern. The beak is square and thick, chiseled with a cicada design on the face. There is a half-moon spout at the back of the owl’s head, and a cap on which a handle was cast in the shape a Kui chasing after a bird. The chest of the owl is decorated with deformed bicorn cicada patterns. Both wings of the Xiao Zun look like a coiled snake, which is a typical form of similar works. On the top of the tail there is a high-relief owl head, below there are carved stretched wings, leaving an impression that it is flying.

Western Zhou. Taibao Bird You 23.5cm high. Kept in the White Crane Art Gallery of Japan.

Some Xiao Zun integrate features of other birds in different shapes. Some are standing upright proudly, some small and cute, reflecting different temperaments and tastes. The patterns on the body take the shapes and poses of different creatures such as birds, animals and reptiles while adding transcendent power to the vessel.

The expression technique is in line with the beliefs of the ancient people. Craftsmen used different sculpture techniques such as relief, round sculpture and line engraving skillfully and freely.

Xiao was also often used for You(ancient wine vessel). The Xiao You is often found in the shape of two Xiao back to back without extra decoration, rotund and lovely.

After the Western Zhou Dynasty, the bird Zun lost its mysterious color and tended to be lifelike. For example the duck Zun unearthed from Kazuo, Liaoning, completely follows the form of a fowl. The vessel is open at the back. The two wings are indicated with relief lines while the diagonal patterns outline the feathers.

The Taibao Bird You collected in the White Crane Art Gallery of Japan, is in the shape of a rooster, with a long crown on its head and dewlap feather on its chin, primitive and simple.

Compared with the number of bird Zun, those of animal Zun are less. The animal Zun of the Shang Dynasty includes elephants, pigs, rhinoceros, tigers and ox, normally made with similar artistic expression technique with the bird Zun with true-life and mysterious features.

The pig Zun unearthed from Xiangtan, Hunan, is 40cm high and 72cm long, in the vivid shape of a boar.

With a long snout and bucked teeth, its eyes are popped out forming an “E”design, and erect ears, the boar is watchful.A line of ridges indicates the boar’s mane. There is a mouth on the back with a cap, on which stands a bird acting as the handle. The boar, in precise proportion and structure, boasts sturdy muscles. Even the genitals are showed clearly. However, the Kuilong image and cloud and lightning pattern on the body remind you it is not an ordinary animal.

A pig You in the Shanghai Museum is also in the shape of two pigs standing back-to-back. The craftsman captured the moment the piglets are lowering their heads looking for food and this is vividly reflected in the image. The vessel is polished with refined decorative patterns, reflecting a high casting technique.

Shang. Pig Zun 40cm high,72cm long, and weighs 19.25kg. Unearthed from Xiangtan, Hunan Province in 1981. Kept in Hunan Museum.

Artistic work on the elephant has a long history in China. In Longshan Culture Relics in Hubei, there was a ceramic elephant made during the late primitive society. The bronze elephant Zun existed in the Shang Dynasty.

An exquisite elephant Zun was unearthed in 1975 from a mountain slope of Liling, Hunan. It was only about 15cm below the surface soil. According to the archaeologists, it might have been a ritual vessel buried bythe slave owner or noble during a sacrificial activity to the mountains and lakes for such a valuable ware was not unearthed from an ancestral temple or tomb but from a slope. The elephant Zun is massive and powerful, decorated with 11 animal patterns. The trunk rises high with the end in the shape of phoenix head, on which there is a crouching tiger, echoing with the relief of two coiling snakes on the forehead of the elephant. The detail on this part is very interesting. The spout is at the back of Zun, but the cap was not found. An elephant Zun collected in the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery is similar to this one but smaller in size.

On its cap there is a small elephant, which can be a reference for studying this one.

Shang. Liling Elephant Zun 22.8cm high, and 26.2cm long. Excavated from Liling, Hunan Province in 1975. Kept in Hunan Museum.

Xiaochen rhinoceros Zun at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco is said to be unearthed from Liangshan，Shandong.Its inscription records the history of the high level official of the Shang Dynasty who followed a king of the Shang Dynasty to attack the Fang square-state in the region.The rhinoceros Zun boasts a strong three-dimensional effect，representing the rhinoceros running vividly on the ground.The head skeletal structure and skin were designed with realism.The body is simple without any decoration but replete with vigor.

Shang.Xiaochen Yu Rhinoceros Zun 24.5cm high.It is said the vessel was excavated from Liangshan，Shouzhang county，Shandong Province.Kept in the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.The vessel has an inscription of 27 Chinese characters in foulines.The lid has been lost.

In the Western Zhou Dynasty，the animal Zun also shows obvious lifelike characteristics.For example，Liju Zun unearthed in Meixian county，Shaanxi province，is in the shape of a realistic colt with only two groups of simple eddy patterns on the belly of the colt.Two Liju Zun were made to mark the honor that Li，the owner of the Zun，participated in the ceremony of the Zhou court promoting the colt to the service horses and received an award from the emperor.

Westen Zhou.Liju Zun 32.4cm high，34cm long，and weighs 5.68kg.Unearthed from Licun village，Meixian county，Shaanxi Province in 1955.Kept in the National Museum of China.The spout is on the back of the vessel with a cap.There is an inscription of nine lines，totaling 94 Chinese characters below the neck.

A gold wire cloud pattern embedded in a rhinoceros Zun cast in the Warring States Period（475-221 BC）to the Western Han Dynasty was unearthed in Xingping，Shaanxi，is also a realistic work.By looking at the two horns on the rhinoceros，the researchers estimated them had African origins.The craftsman mastered the proportion of different parts precisely，especially changes of the internal skeletal structure and external muscles.

The bright eyes of the rhinoceros was made of black materials and embedded.The rhinoceros are decorated with floating cloud patterns made of fine gold and sliver wires.The decoration does not distract from the whole impression，but rather enforces the sense of reality of tenacity and roughness of the skin.The spout of the Zun is at the back of the rhinoceros and the simple movable cap does not affect the integrity of the vessel. On both sides of the cap the leather belt type design extends to the belly of the rhinoceros. On the right side of the rhinoceros’ mouth is a pipe-shaped spout leading to the belly. Though it is a lifelike work, it was designed as a wine vessel with complete functions.

Warring States Period-Western Han Dynasty. Rhinoceros Zun with Gold Wire Inlaid Cloud Pattern 34.1cm high,58.1cm long.

Excavated from Douma vilage, Xingping county, Shaanxi Province in 1963. Kept in the National Museum of China.

Sigong, Fangyi

Among the bird and animal bronze vessels created during the Shang and Western Zhou dynasties, there is another type vessel named Sigong (a wine vessel). Basically it is a jar with a cap,a spout on the front and a handle on the back, with three or four ring-shaped legs. The bird and animal images such as Xiao, elephant, ox and tiger are formed at the cap and the vessel body together features the sculpture elements. Some Sigong are in the shape of an animal on the front part and a squatting Xiao on the rear part while some are the other way around. Some are decorated with beautiful patterns while others are very simple with little adornment.

Shang. Gong with Bird and Animal Patterms 31.4cm high,31.3cm wide, and weighs 4.59kg. Kept in the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.

The Gong with Bird and Animal Pattern of the Shang Dynasty is collected in the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. It is decorated with more than 30 three-dimensional or relief animal patterns: the front part of the cap is an animal head while the curled horns are a pair of Kuilong; the rear part of the cap is a monster with fish gills and Kui horn. On both sides of the cap the middle part reveals a relief of Kui, elephant, tiger, bird and fish chasing each other. There is a big bird with a sharp beak and snake-shaped body on the front part of the vessel, while the rear area has a Taotie. The vessel handle is in the shape of a squatted bird. The rear legs of the four legs are the men with a serpentine body held by the Taotie.

Sigong was no longer made after the middle of the Western Zhou Dynasty.

Fangyi(square wine vessel) is also in relation to Sigong. Fangyi is actually a temporary name for these wine vessels made by ancient people. Yi is a general term of bronze ware and this wine vessel is square, and so it is called Fangyi. It is in the shape of a house with a cap following the shape of a roof with five ridges. Somehave arc-shaped decor. Researchers speculate that the craftsmen referred to the palace buildings of that time for this design. The largest Fangyi is twin-Fangyi unearthed from the Fuhao tomb of the Shang Dynasty.

Fangyi was normally unearthed together with Sigong, indicating a grouping relationship between them.

Shiju Fangyi and Li Fangyi of the middle Western Zhou Dynasty have trunk-shaped legs on both sides with ear-shaped ormaments.A wall was built in the vessel interior, dividing the vessel into two cells for containing seasoning. There is a square opening for holding the spoon handle.

Shang. Fuhao Fangyi 36.6cm high and weighs 10.1kg. Unearthed from the Fuhao tomb, Anyang in 1976. Fuhao Fangyi is a pair in the shape of a house. Two Chinese characters are inscribed inside the cap.