Certain criteria apply: age, scarceness, condition, patina and quality of craftsmanship, as well as the possibility of the piece being a fake, albeit one made over 1,000 years ago.
Shang Dynasty Bronzes
The pinnacle of Chinese bronze making dates from the early Shang dynasty (1600BC) to the end of the Han dynasty (206BC-220AD). China has rich resources of copper, tin and lead, the main ingredients for making bronze. Aristocrats of the Shang dynasty practised ancestor worship, commissioning elaborate bronze vessels for making ceremonial offerings of food and wine to the dead. Afterwards these vessels were enclosed in the tomb.
These ritual vesselswere cast in bronze in multi-sectioned clay moulds, not by the lost-wax method. The process was highly developed by ancient Chinese metal workers and by this method they were able to produce finely detailed decoration. These heavy, solid vessels were intended not only for burial but also for use by the living in extravagant and ostentatious ceremonies to appease the spirits of their ancestors. It is possible that some vessels may have survived until now without having been buried.
Shang vessels were of the three-legged type, footed bowls, and cylindrical shapes with a flaring neck, used as cooking vessels, wine goblets and food containers. Symbols and designs were often highly stylized with the Taotie,a dragon-like creature with large eyes, horns and a body spread across the surface, which was thought to have protective powers.
Lost-Wax Process
Bronze sculptures were made by the lost-wax process, whereby the image was modelled in a wax coating over a rough core of wood or clay and a mould of clay formed over it. When the clay set hard, the wax was melted away leaving a space into which molten bronze could be poured. The surface of the hollow sculpture thus reproduced the fine detail of the original wax model on the outside. The inside core was removed, although pieces which remain are valuable in dating sculptures by carbon 14 or thermo-luminescence methods.
When first cast these vessels were a dark copper colour, but through oxidation and contact with the minerals in the earth, a green incrustation formed later on the surface. This incrustation is added to modern copies or fakes to imitate age. Numerous fakes abound so it is necessary to study the piece well before deciding to purchase.
Other bronze objects include weapons, mirrors, belt hooks (which were worn as symbols of rank), and small ornaments. Gold, copper and silver inlay were cast into the metal to add to the design.
Further Reading on Bronzes
- Jessica Rawson, Chinese Bronzes, Art and Ritual, pub. British Museum Publications Ltd
- Ancient Chinese Bronzes in the Collection of the Shanghai Museum, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Urban Council Publications
- Christian Deydier, Archaic Chinese Bronzes, pub. Arhis.
Valery Garrett - I was born in England but I’ve lived in Hong Kong for over thirty years. At first I worked as a fashion designer for some large ...
