Bronze Drinking Vessels

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Ancient Chinese metallurgy derived from late primitive society. As early as Longshan culture period, man learned how to forge red copper. Later on, they used tin as the main additive to make copper alloy, the stronger and more durable bronze.

Bronze was firstly created in the Xia dynasty and bronze ware was favored by then slave owners and nobles for its utility and outlook. Bronze forging reached its peal in the Shang and Zhou dynasties. At that time, bronze forging was the most importantand advanced craft for bronze was used to make various tools and weapons, includingwine vessels. For instance, in the relics and tombs of Erlitou culture period in the Xia dynasty, some bronze knives, adze, chise, jue (ancient wine vessel with three legs and a loop handle), and jia (round-mouthed and three-legged wine cup) as well as bronze wine vessels have been discovered. Wares unearthed from tombs of Shang emperor’s wives and daughters were even considerable,70% of the 200 bronze wares were wine vessels. It is amazing that they are in pairs with various shapes and designs.

This serves as the evidence that slave owners in the Yin and Shang dynasties were addicted to alcohol and it provides valuable materials for studying bronze wine vessels of the Shang dynasty. Also, the emergence of bronze vessels reflected further development of smelting through late primitive society to slave society. On one hand, there were a complete series of bronze wine vessels, and forging units were divided into further detailed levels; on the other hand, their shapes were given much more thinking and innovation, loaded with strong artistic and ornamental features. Zun, in particular, was popular in the Shang dynasty and the Western Zhou dynasty, resembled gu (or beaker) but with larger belly and caliber. They existed inmany shapes as imitation of various animals such as bird, elephant, rhinocero, goat. tiger and rabbit. In addition, zun was used as a sacrificial vessel in major fiesta ceremonies. The daedal and rich veins decorations reflected strong cultural flavor, making it more than just a vessel.

Bronze vessels are also featured by its general utility for wine, water and food. In addition, there are other vessels like bu(vase) and shao(ladle), which are of the same shape and different material.

Bronze wine vessels were luxuries at that time and used only among slave owners and noble class. Besides, the different wine vessels showed different social status, that is to say, they carried extensive social meaning. As common people could not afford bronze, they sti1l adopted pottery and natural vessels for drinking.

Therefore, both pottery wine vessels and bronze wine vessels were in progress. Some pottery wine vessels modeled on bronze vessels were so popular in the society thatthey were still to be used in the Spring-Autumn and Warring States Period (770 BC-221BC).

In general, the bronze vessels used by the slave owners and the nobles in the Shang and Zhou dynasties were comprised of the following: Jue, an ancient wine vessel with three legs and a loop handle, was a popular wine vessel in the Shang and Zhou dynasties. In addition, it served as a necessars funerary object in the tombs of slave owners of these two dynasties.

You, rather important wine vessel in ancient China, was popular in the Shang dynasty and the Western Zhou dynasty, shaped elliptical and round respectively.

Basically, it is elliptically-mouthed, with deep belly, round legs and lids.

Lei was used to drink both water and wine, and is shaped in square or circle The square lei arose in the Shang dynasty, with broad shoulders and lids, while round ones were used in the Shang and the Western Zhou dynasties.

Gu, used in ancient China for drinking, similar to today’s wine cup, was popular in the Shang dynasty and the Western Zhou dynasty. It’s body is long, with a trumpe shaped mouth and bottom.

Zhi, the wine vessel of ancient China, looks like a small bottle, mostly has a lid to match with it. It was popular during the period from the Shang dynasty to the Spring-Autumn and Warring States Period.After the Spring and Autumn Period，it’s body was made longer，similar to the shape of gu.

Jiao，an three-legged wine cup in ancient China，resembled jue except the columns.It was mainly popular in the Shang dynasty，used by junior members of the slave-owners and the noble family.

In addition，bronze jia and yu were also widely used among the slave-owners and the noble.

Generally，bronze wine vessel occupied an important position among bronze vessels，and had an important status and function，particularly when they were usedfor sacrificial purposes.Compared with other types of bronze vessels，they offered more varieties.However，bronze gradually faded in the Spring and Autumn period.

Many were removed from banquets of the nobles because on the one hand，it was poisonous due to cuprum inside it；on the other hand，the cost for bronze is great due to limited reserves.Therefore，it is unavoidable that bronze vessels were replaced by vessels made of other materials.