Bronze Ware of Nomads Living in the Northern Grasslands

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In the northern grasslands from the northeast to northwest, the Donghu, Huns, Wuhuan and Xianbei nomads created unique cultures and arts.

According to archeological material discovered in modern times, the bronze culture created by the northern nomads started in the 13th century BC, around the late period of the Shang Dynasty in the Central Plains. Northern nomad bronze culture developed in the Western Zhou Dynasty, the Spring and Autumn Period, the Warring States Period, Qin and Han dynasties, and collapsed in the second century. The culturalclimax was between the 4th centuuy BC and the lst century BC. The bronze ware of the grassland nomads is simple and clear, quite different from the deep and elaborate artistic styles of the bronze ware of the Central Plains.

Among the extant grassland bronze ware, decorative plates are the highest in number. Various plates decorated on belts, garments and harnesses were discovered in Liaoning, Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Ningxia, Mongolia, the middle reaches of the Yenisei, and southern Siberia. Most bronze ware pieceswere unearthed in Erdos, Inner Mongolia, so the nomads’ bronze ware is also called Erdos bronze ware, known as Xifanpian.

Decorative plates of the Donghu people in the early ages were found in Inner Mongolia and Liaoning, and the designs are simple. From the Warring States Period to the Western Han Dynasty, the subject matter of the Huns’ decorative plates are lively, and full of reliefs in animal shapes depicted on weapons, pole tips and harnesses which were popular.

Warring States Period. Bronze Deer Lying Down Left:11.5cm high,15cm long. Right:7.6cm high,15.5cm long. Excavated from Jungar banner, Ih Ju League, Inner Mongolia. Kept in the Inner Mongolia Museum.

Western Han. Plate of Two Horse Riders Hunting with Swords and Eagles on their Arms 11.1cm long,8.4cm wide. Unearthed from Xichagou, Xifeng county, Liaoning Province in 1956. Kept in the National Museum of China.

Animal images were illustrated on most bronze plates, and some reflected folk customs. On some plates, pairs of animals, including bulls, horses, goats and camels, are enclosed in a rectangle with frames. Sometimes a single animal is enclosed in an oval without frames. Other plates display fierce fights between animals. The subject matter of decorative plates of the northern nomads is similar to that of the button decorations of theancient Dian people, but the styles are different. The artistic style of the decorative plates from the northern grassland is stable and massive, such as the Two Bulls Plate unearthed in Xichagou, Xifeng, Liaoning. On the plate, two bulls bow their heads eating grass. The composition of the picture is sufficient, and the image is calm and powerful. The bulls are trained, domesticated and meek. Normally, images of fighting animals show a scene when the battle is over, with the weaker side succumbing to the loss, and the winner triumphing with the prey in its mouth.

In terms of production, both relief and line carving are used on decorative bronze plates of the northern nomads, and the charcoal was used to sketch object frames. Water drop-shaped ornamental signs outlined with charcoal can be seen in many pieces. This might be because of the processing of embedding kallaite on the bronze.

Typical decorative plates that reflect daily life include the plate of two horse riders hunting with swordsand eagles on their arms, and the plate of knights capturing enemies. Both plates are discovered in Xichagou, Xifeng, Liaoning Province.A pair of decorative plates, found in No.140 tomb in Kesheng Village, Chang’ an, Shaanxi, show strong men getting off their horses, taking off their upper outer garments and wrestling. These plates represent the lively and unique customs of nomads living on the grassland.