Between the Gods and Men of China
13 min readAn important part of bronze ware of the Shang and Zhou dynasties is the figure work with sculptural characteristics, and is mainly divided into the following categories: First, containers or vessels in the shape of figure, for example Hushiren You(vessel in the shape of a tiger eating a man) of the Shang Dynasty and Changxin Palace Lantern of the Han Dynasty.
Secondly, independent figure sculptures, for example the bronze figure with religious meaning unearthed from Sanxingdui, Guanghan, Sichuan and Jiyue Tongwu (music performance house) of the Warring States Period unearthed from Shaoxing, Zhejiang:
Thirdly, stands in the shape of figures, for example the bell pole bronze figure that is large and figure-shaped ware legs and figure-shaped stands, which are small.
The Hushiren You of the Shang Dynasty is also named Ruhu(tigerkin) You. There are two similar works collected in the world, one in France and the other in Japan. They are of a crouching tiger holding a person with its two front paws while the person crouches with both hands at the chest of the tiger and bare feet at the tiger’s paws. Both the tiger and the person are decorated with Kuilong, snake and cloud and lightning patterns. The person’s head is facing the tiger’s wide open mouth but the person turns his head to the side as if nothing has happened. Some researchers believe art in the Shang Dynasty was not sophisticated enough to portray one’s expression so that the person does not show any fear. Some researchers hypothesize that the work may be that the person was a deity engaging in sexual intercourse with the tiger. The person may perhaps be the ancestor of the Hu Kingdom of the Shang Dynasty. The five organs of the person in Hushiren You are quite precisely made. In order to measure the proportion between the person and the tiger holding each other together, the length of the lower limbs were shortened. The lower part of You and the tiger’s two front paws and tail form three supporting points. The You has a hoop handle and a cap on which stands a small animal.
Shang. Hushiren You 32.5cm high. It is said the vessel was unearthed from Anhua, Hunan Province. Kept in the Musee Cernuschi, Paris. The other You of the same shape and structure is in the collection of the Izumiya Museum of Japan.
Westerm Han. Changxin Palace Lanterm 48cm high and weighs 15.78kg. Excavated from the tombs of the Westerm Han Dynasty in Mancheng, Hebei Province in 1968. Kept in Hebei Museum. On the body of the lantern are nine inscriptions, totaling 65 Chinese characters, recording the capacity, weight and travels of the lantern within members of the imperial family of the Western Han Dynasty.
Among the figure works of the Warring States Period and the Western Han Dynasty, the most famous is the Changxin Palace Lantern unearthed from the Du Wan tomb in Mancheng, Hebei province. The inscription shows that the Changxin Palace Lantern was originally used in the Changxin Palace of the queen mother Du who was mother of Emperor Wudi(ruled 140-86 BC) of the Western Han Dynasty, and later was passed among several relatives of the imperial family. The gilded lantern was designed in the shape of a kneeling maid-in-waiting. The Changxin Palace Lantern is a successful example of the systematic combination of dynamic figures and the application of structure and functions: the maid-in-waiting raises the lantern stand with her left hand and supports the chimney with her right hand, in the action of lighting for the others. In fact, the right arm is hollow and acts as the pipe discharging the smoke. The chimney, stand, the head of the maid-in-waiting and right arm can be dismantled for cleaning. The direction of the lamp and light intensity can be adjusted. The maid-in-waiting is beautiful, behaves in natural and graceful manners. It is also a vivid work as a sculpture.
For a long time, knowledge about Chinese ancient sculpture was limited to the bronze ware in the shape of birds and animals and small-sized jade, stone and pottery sculpture works. An important fact unknown to the public was not unveiled until 1986, when a batch of bronze ware more than 3,000 years old was unearthed from two sacrificial pits in Guanghan Sanxingdui, Sichuan: Ancient China had cast figure sculptures in a large scale.
Most of the bronze ware unearthed from Sanxingdui was sacrificial rite vessels. The most notable one is a standing bronze figure, which is 262cm tall in total, and the figure alone is 172cm, equal to the height of a person today. The figure looks lifelike and serious, wears lavish clothes and a hard cap with two interlaid O-shaped patterns on which there are flower-shaped decorations. The figure raises both his arms. The hands are large, making an empty ring with both Hukou facing each other. It is an action holding an item that has since been lost. Somebody reckoned it was a Cong (rectangular jade with round holes) for offering sacrifices to the god of the land, or a wand on behalf of the divine power or the emperor. The researchers believe the bronze figure might have been the head of soothsayers or a king of the ancient Shu kingdom.
The bronze figure has a square face, exaggerated five organs, thick and short eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, sharp cheekbones that extend beyond the ears. His mouth is long. Both ears like fans with auricles in the cloud pattern shape. The earlobes have holes. By referring to the residues of the head portrait of the bronzefigure unearthed at the same time, we can know the five organs of the bronze figure were colored: eyebrow andeye sockets in a reddish shade, eyeballs in black, mouth, and the nostril and ear holes in red. The demeanor is standard with the body straight, lacking vivid changes. However, the patterns, from the deformed dragon, interlaid O-shapes, triangles and panes on the clothes are refined and precise.
Their faces can be divided into two types: one is similar with the bronze figure head, lifelike and solemn; the other is round with a garlic-shaped nose, without an obvious cheekbone line and the chin not in the shape of wide ridge, but rounded naturally, looking gentle and kind.
Shang. Head with gold mask 41cm high. Excavated from Guanghan Sanxingdui, Sichuan Province in 1986. Kept in Sanxingdui Museum.
The cap and hair style of the head portraits are different: some heads were designed in the shape to connect with a cap separately made; some wear an even-top cap; some wear horse tails; some wear twin-wing helmets and some have hair coiled on top of the head-which was common in rural areas of Sichuan. What is most unique is that some head portraits are covered with metal masks with eyebrow, eyes and mouth piercing.
It may represent a special distinguished status. In ancient China, special materials such as gold and jade were connected with the most respected deities and they along with the Buddha were believed to have gold bodies.
The necks of the 54 bronze head portraits were made into bottom-up groove-shape and were used for inserting to the rest of the bodies. Thus it is believed the bronze head portrait is one part of the figure sculpture made of composite materials and the body must have been made from other materials.
Shang.Divine tree 390cm high.Unearthed from Guanghan Sanxingdui，Sichuan Province in 1986.Kept in Sanxingdui Museum.
The most mysterious is the bronze mask that looks like man，deity and animal simultaneously.The smallest one is only 6.5cm high，while the largest is 65cm high，with two extremely large ears that open like a halberd.The length between the two ears is 138cm.The most intriguing part is his eyeballs，which are in the shape of a long column，popping up 16.5cm above the eye sockets on both sides and the eyeball diameter is 13.5cm.The image with the pop-up eyeballs has never been seen in other areas before.Some believe the mask is the image of the ancestral deity of the ancient Shu kingdom-Can Cong in legend，according to the description about Shu’s king Can Cong，”he has vertical eyes，and first named himself king，”in Huayang Kingdom Recordwritten by Chang Qu of the Jin Dynasty（265-420）.There are square holes on the neck and earlobes on themask，which must be especially made for inserting into the body made from other materials.The large size shows the mask will form a huge deity several times the size of a real person after connecting with the body made from other materials.Another piece is smaller than this one，but also with pop-up eyeballs.On the nose of the mask a 66-cm long three-dimensional decoration in the shape of a coiling cloud is embedded，rising high above the head，unique and strange.
Warring States Period. Jiyue Bronze Stand 17cm high,13cm wide, and 11.5cm thick. Unearthed from Potang, Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province in 1981. Kept in Zhejiang Museum.
If put together, the 50-odd head portraits and nearly 20 masks in different sizes referring to the standing bronze figure, there is a grand group of sculptures combining man and deity. The solemn and supernatural images will be enforced because of the collective powers they hold. The viewers will be shocked in the religious cold and killing environment.
There are six bronze divine trees that co-exist with the bronze portraits. The largest one is 3.9m high with branches hanging fruits and birds, and dragons flying across the branches. Two small bronze figures kneeling back to back are on the stands of the two trees. Some believe the divine trees are Jianmu or Dishen(god of the land), which are linked with heaven in ancient legends.
Sanxingdui bronze ware created in ancient Shu displays a highly developed culture center more than 3,000 years ago. The strange and unique shape is different from the bronze ware in the central plain that most people are familiar with. Thus some believed Sanxingdui Culture was from other country, or even from another planet.
However, the bronze Zun and jade ware unearthed from the same place show the close relationship between Sanxingdui Culture and that of the central plain.
There is small bronze ware with sculptures meaning they were from the Shang and Zhou dynasties, for example, the Jiyue Tongwu of the Warring States Period unearthed from Potang, Shaoxing, Zhejiang.A group of naked bronze figures in the house are dancing and singing. Researchers believe it may represent religious activity of the ancient Yue people. The bronze house is 17cm high, and on the top there is an octagonal column with a large bird resting on top, or totem pole. Under the pole it is a roof with four edges curling towards the top. The house has three chambers, divided by two columns. Both walls have hollowed pane patterns and the back has a cross-shaped small window. There are six kneeling bronze figures in the house. In the front row, one is beating a drum and two females are singing. At the back row, three bronze figures are accompanying the singers with Sheng and Qin (musical instruments). The figures are small in size, but the five organs are vivid and the action and musical instruments are detailed, representing the living environment and customs of the ancient Yue people.
There is a large number of bronze ware in great varieties with figures as the tool stand in ancient China.
Since the Western Zhou Dynasty, for items in the shape of figurines, the figure is typically dressed in a cap and clothes, representing different status. For example, the figure-shaped linchpin unearthed from Beiyao, Luoyang, Henan, the bronze figure wears a net-shaped pin with a scarf tied beneath the chin, dressed in a long robe with a mandarin collar, which is long enough to cover his knees, and has a belt around the waist. The figure has both hands crossing his chest, and stands on his feet, representing a specific figure in reality. The figure-shaped legs supporting different vessels are normally in the image of naked men or women. For example, the square box shaped vessel unearthed from the Quwo, Shanxi, Jinhou tomb of the late Western Zhou Dynasty has four naked figures as its legs; all the figures support the vessel’s bottom. From the special hairstyles we can judge they are captives of other ethnic groups and were slaves.
Western Zhou. Square Box-shaped Vessel 23.1cm high. Excavated from the Jinhou tomb, Quwo, Shanxi Province. It is now in the Shanxi Archeology Research Institute.
Westerm Zhou. Yuexing Slaver Doorkeeper Ge(part)13.8cm high. Kept in the Palace Museum.
Warring States Period. Zhongju Bronze Figure 79cm-96cm high in total. Unearthed from the Zenghou Yi tomb, Suixian, Hubei Province in 1978. Kept in Hubei Museum.
There are some bronze works of the Western Zhou Dynasty representing slaves suffering from Yuexing (punishment of cutting off feet), reflecting cruel reality. Yuexing is a criminal law of ancient China, under which the punished have their feet cut of, belittled by the public and sent to act as doorkeepers or defend a garden.
The Yuexing Slaver Doorkeeper Li(food container) kept in the Palace Museum consists of two parts: the upper part is a container and the lower part is in the shape of a house with a door that opens to the front wall. The rest of the three walls have hollow windows. It can be used to fire and heat food. The door can be opened or closed.
On the left door, there is cast a naked male doorkeeper, whose left foot was cut off, and supports himself with a stick.A Yueren(a person suffered from Yuexing) Doorkeeper Ding unearthed from Fufeng, Shaanxi, has a complex structure. The doorkeeper was cast outside of the right door, wearing a bob on his head, holding a door bolt in his chest, naked, with his left foot cut off.A Yueren Guarding the Garden Bronze Cart wasunearthed from Wenxi, Shanxi. On the carriage, monkey and birds and crouching animals, which can rotate, were cast, simulating a garden with birds and animals inside. On one side of the carriage the door is open, with a naked person with the left foot cut off.
Among the large bronze works with figures with practical usage, the best representative is the six Zhongju Bronze Figure on Zenghou Yi chimes.
Warring States Period. Bronze figure-shaped lamp(silver-headed bronze figure which holds a hormless dragon)66.4cm high. Unearthed from Pingshan county, Hebei Province, tomb of the King of the Zhongshan Kingdom in 1977. Kept in Hebei Cultural Relics Research Institute.
The Zhongju Bronze Figure is located on the middle and bottom rows of the chime, three to a row. The bronze figure is in the image of a warrior, standing at attention, wearing a round flat-headed cap, long gown with the right fabric covering the left,a belt,a long sword on the right, raising both arms to support the crossbeam. The maker properly adjusted the structure and length of the shoulder, elbow and forearm of the Bronze Figure according to the position and support function of different bronze figures. The bronze figures on the lower row are larger than the middle row, about 1m tall, and good looking. The figures were colored and the gowns were decorated with red lines against the black background and petal patterns on the front of the garments. The middle row bronze figures have square tenons on the heads and feet to connect with the crossbeams. It is the first time images of strong and confident young warrior appeared in ancient artworks in China.
Warring States Period.15-Lamp Set 82.9cm high. Excavated from Pingshan county, Hebei Province, tomb of the King of the Zhongshan Kingdom in 1977. Kept in Hebei Cultural Relics Research Institute.
There are many vivid figures on the lamps of the Warring States Period and the Han Dynasty. The figure-shaped bronze lamp unearthed in Zhucheng, Shandong province, is a server who wears a broad belt, stands on a carved animal-shaped stand and holds a lamp in both hands. He slightly bends both knees with the lamps one higher and the other lower, reflecting the lamp holder cannot shoulder the burden well.
The bronze figure-shaped lamp(silver-headed bronze figure which holds a hornless dragon) unearthed from Pingshan, Hebei province, tomb of the King of Zhongshan Kingdom of the middle Warring States Period was cast with different materials. The main body is a man with silver head and bronze body standing on a square stand, who wears his hair coiled up. The eyeballs of the figure were made of black balls. The man dresses in a brocade gown with loose sleeves, painted with red cloud patterns, and wears a belt. He holds a hornless dragon in each hand to support three lamps, which have three candleholders. The hormless dragon is raised high on the right hand was cast with the decoration of the hornless dragon chasing a monkey.
A 15 bronze-lamp set unearthed from the Zhongshan Kingdom tomb consists of a lamp stand and seven sections of lamp racks. The central lamp standard is connected with seven arc-shaped branch racks, which holds a lamp calyx. In the center of the calyx is a candle holder. The lamp stand is round, decorated with three openwork-carving dragons. It has three double-body tigers, which hold a ring at their legs. Two figures on the standard, topless, are throwing food upwards. Echoing to the two people are monkeys playing on the lamp branches, some are climbing while others hang upside down to catch food. On the stand there are two big birds.
On the top of the stand there is a dragon climbing upwards. With the activities of the persons, birds and animals on the bronze ware, the artisan represented a space connecting earth with heaven, full of vigor.
Moreover, it was popular to add decoration with figures or head portraits on bronze ware in the Shang and Zhou dynasties. The decorations have different meanings, and some of them may be the image of divine-man.
