Inscriptions in the Western Zhou Dynasty
6 min readThe number of pieces of bronze ware with inscriptions in the Western Zhou Dynasty is high，and the number of inscribed characters is also high，and even reaches up to 500.At the same time，the content of the inscriptions is different from the past.
According to the Book of Rites that records and argues ritual procedures before the Qin Dynasty（221-206BC），”Inscriptions are the words of achievements，merits and reputations of ancestors recorded on sacrificial articles to commemorate them.”The most important purpose of the inscriptions is to eulogize the merits andviutues of ancestors.The first half of the inscription on the Shiqiang Pan，which was cast in the period of Emperor Gongwang of the Zhou Dynasty（922-899 BC），describes the stories of six emperors from Emperor Wenwang to Emperor Muwang，and the second half lists the merits made by five generations of the Wei family that assisted the six emperors.
Some inscriptions of bronze ware in the early period of the Western Zhou Dynasty record the activities that nobles took part in sacrificial ceremonies and expeditions and were awarded with shells，vehicles，horses，land and helpers.Nobles made bronze ware to record their merits，sacrifice to their ancestors，and show off their achievements to later generations.The format of most of these pieces of bronze ware with such kind of inscriptions was stable and steady，and the patterns were splendid.The inscription font is serious and strict，conveying a divine flavor.These feature sobriety of ritual articles.
Western Zhou.Yu Ding iscription The inscription has 291 Chinese characters in 19 lines.The characters feature precise structure and vigorous style，and are representative works of the official chirography of the Western Zhou Dynasty.
In the middle and late period of the Western Zhou Dynasty，more and more bronze ware inscriptions recorded contracts.The inscriptions are equivalent to contracts between nobles.The inscription on the Gebo Gui records the agreement that Gebo exchanged land with horses and demarcated the plot.The famous Sanshi Pan is named after the Sanshi characters in the inscription.Some people consider the artisan is Shi，so the article is also called Shiren Pan.The inscription has 357 characters，describing how the Shi people invaded the San state，and took over land from the San state.The inscription includes details of the positions of the land plots and demarcations，the personnel who participated in the demarcation and agreement on both sides，as well as the ministers in charge of the lawsuits of the imperial court of Zhou Dynasty.
Western Zhou.Sanshi Pan inscription Unearthed from Fengxiang，Shaanxi Province.Kept in the National Palace Museum in Taipei.The inscription has 349 Chinese characters in 19 lines.The chirography has profound influence on Chinese calligraphy since the end of Qing Dynasty.
The content of the bronze ware inscriptions in the Western Zhou Dynasty covered sacrifices，awards，expeditions，appointments of landlords，decrees of emperors，land transactions，and exchanges in population.
The inscriptions provide a great deal of first-hand material for historical research of the Western Zhou Dynasty.
Some inscriptions describe key historical events and figures and have precious historical research value.
The Li Gui was discovered in Lintong，Shaanxi，in 1976.On the eighth day after Emperor Wuwang of the Zhou Dynasty defeated Emperor Zhou of the Shang Dynasty，Li，a noble in the Zhou Dynasty，was awarded by Emperor Wuwang and cast a piece of bronze ware.According to the inscription and related documents，researchers conclude that the date when Zhou defeated Shang was January 20，1046.The Li Gui became an important evidence for the Chronology Project of Xia，Shang and Zhou dynasties，and has the earliest inscribed age among all pieces of bronze ware with inscriptions in the Western Zhou Dynasty.Tianwang Gui，another important bronze ware of the same period，recorded an event that Emperor Wuwang held a great appointment ceremony and made sacrifices to Emperor Shangdi of the Yin Dynasty and Emperor Wenwang of the Zhou Dynasty.The sacrifice changed the traditional priority of Yin emperors making sacrifices for Emperor Yin of the Yin Dynasty.The inscription on the He Zun，cast during the reign of Emperor Chengwang of the Zhou Dynasty（1042-1020 BC），recorded the historical event that Emperor Chengwang moved to Chengzhou（Luoyi）.Lai Pan，a piece of bronze ware unearthed in Baoji，Shaanxi，in 2003，has 372 characters inscribed on it，which record the merits of eight generations of the Shan family who assisted 12 emperors in the Western Zhou Dynasty（from emperors Wenwang to Xuanwang）.The inscription verifies the titles of emperors of the Western Zhou recorded in Zhou’s Biography of Records of the Grand Historian for the first time，and is valuable in studying the history of the Western Zhou Dynasty.
Bronze ware inscriptions of the Western Zhou Dynasty have various styles of caligraphy，which can be divided into two types.One is the official orthodox elegant style，which stresses brush strength and grand vigor，such as the inscription on the Dayu Ding.The other is the freestyle way，which stresses calligraphic connotation and interest.Both styles have deep-seated influences on later painting and calligraphy art.
Inscriptions on large-size pieces of bronze ware，which were produced by workshops under the imperial court of the Zhou Dynasty and local kingdoms，have the same calligraphic style with the dimensions and decorative patterns of bronze ware.Both the calligraphy and decoration convey a strict and superb flavor.The inscription on the Dayu Ding，a representative piece，has 291 characters in 19 rows，and records the appointment of Yu，a noble in the 23rd year of the reign of Emperor Kangwang of the Western Zhou（997 BC）.
The font is dignified and square and has curved transitional strokes. The distances between the lines are equal, indicating considerable and strong vigor. The inscription on the Qiang Pan,a later piece of bronze ware after the Dayu Ding, has 284 characters in 18 lines, and the layout stresses the equal space between lines and columns.
The character shape is more elegant and graceful, and strokes are subtle and shapely. The characters’ shapes become longer. This represents a new trend of bronze ware inscription calligraphy after the middle of the Westen Zhou Dynasty. Many long bronze ware inscriptions in the late period of the Western Zhou Dynasty emphasize a clean layout of lines. Some inscriptions even have character grids(such as Dake Ding and Song Kettle). Other inscriptions pay extreme attention to horizontal and vertical orderliness. As a result, the general layout seems loose.
Sanshi Pan(Shiren Pan) was made during the reign of Emperor Liwang of the Western Zhou Dynasty(877-841BC, late period of the dynasty). The characters inscribed are square and short. Strokes from the left to the right are not horizontal and strokes from up to down are not vertical, but the characters’ center are stable.
The aesthetic features of vastness and generosity make the piece stand out among bronze ware inscriptions of the Shang and Zhou dynasties.
Other important bronze ware inscriptions of the Western Zhou Dynasty are characters on the Maogong Ding, Guojizibai Pan and Zongzhou Bell. There are 497 characters inscribed on the Maogong Ding, the longest one existing among Western Zhou inscriptions. The inscription on the Zongzhou Bell has 122 characters, and is the longest one among all bell inscriptions during the Shang and Zhou dynasties. The inscription on theGuojizibai Pan has a free and easy style of calligraphy, and is written in poetic form, which is rare in inscriptions. The inscription records that the noble Guojizibai conquered Xianyun,a minor tribe, under the order of the Zhou Emperor and was rewarded for fulfilling his duty.
Graphic Characters in Inscriptions of the Shang and Zhou Dynasties Inscriptions of the Shang and Zhou dynasties have graphic characters like badges. Some researchers consider these graphic characters as tribe badges. On some bronze articles, the name of the one who is sacrificed is under the graphic character, or a frame is added to the graphic character, similar to today’s seals.
The graphic character belongs to pictographs or associative compounds in philology. Due to the specifics of graphic characters, people today are able to directly tell the meaning of the characters. This kind of graphic character leads to the belief that “calligraphy and painting have the same origins.”Graphic characters focus on the image of human beings and the relations between people.
