Copper Sculpture

Back in the Shang Dynasty（1600 BCE-1046 BCE），the ancient Chinese created large numbers of bronze vessels covered with intricate decorations for use in sacrificial rituals.

Thousands of years later，this art survives，though now most often applied to much more secular purposes-like an entire museum made of copper.While in Hangzhou，be sure to check out Zhu Bingren Bronze Art Museum，where visitors can appreciate calligraphy，painting，frescos，and Buddha figures in the finest copper.With an area of around 3，000 square meters，the museum is entirely made of copper-including doors，windows，pillars，and furniture，totaling 65 tons.Zhu Bingren，after whom the museum is named，is known as the“Father of Modern Bronze and Copper Art in China”For Zhu，copper means more than art；it is a family legacy that stretches back to the Qing Dynasty，when Zhu Bingren’s great-grandfather started a bronze and copper workshop and passed his craft onto his son.This makes Zhu a fourth-generation craftsman.With hisalready masterful knowledge of the processes involved，he went on to study architectural design，landscaping，and metallurgy-all to create a new form of Chinese copper sculpture art.While his family may have been craftsmen，Zhu made copper sculpture into art.

Hangzhou copper sculpture，as well as the”Copper Art of the Zhu Family”，have been recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage.

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