How did the bronzes of the Shang and Zhou dynasties make various complex patterns?

The complex pattern mentioned by the subject should refer to the delicate and complex hollow pattern in Figure 1, if it is true, this is indeed a very advanced bronze casting technology at that time - the lost wax method! The artifacts cast by the lost wax method are the most typical of the two artifacts of the Chu State during the Warring States Period:

One is the moire copper ban of Xichuan Temple

One is the bronze plate of the tomb of Marquis Yi.

Xichuan Xia Temple No. 2 tomb unearthed "moire copper forbidden", 131cm long, wide, forbidden in the middle of the rectangle used to put things; The forbidden is surrounded by twelve three-dimensional dragon shapes, and the dragon horns and dragon tails are decorated with reliefs; At the corners, at its base, at and around it, there are 12 monstrous monsters that act as legs.

Friends who have seen the national treasure should be no stranger to this treasure from the Henan Museum, which is one of the earliest castings of China's lost wax casting process.

In addition to this "moire bronze forbidden", the "bronze plate" in the tomb of Marquis Yi is not inferior in any way, its decoration is more magnificent, the craftsmanship is more exquisite, and it is also an outstanding representative of the lost wax casting.

Zeng Hou Yi "Zun Pan", as the name suggests, it is composed of two pieces of utensils, "Zun" and "Pan", such a combination of utensils is not uncommon in the tomb of Zeng Hou B, such as Zeng Hou Yi "Jian", which is composed of the "Jian" on the outside and the "Xuan" on the inside.

Okay, let's take this "zun plate" apart and take a look:

This is the upper part of the "zun", the mouth is trumpet-shaped, it is worth noting that there are two layers of fine and intricate openwork ornaments attached to the edge of its mouth, and there are four hollow dragon-shaped carvings on its neck, and the abdomen and ring feet are also decorated with variant disc dragon patterns.

This is the lower part of the "plate", which is also decorated with openwork snake patterns and dragon patterns on the rim of the mouth, lips, ears, abdomen and hooves.

In fact, one of the biggest differences between the two is the mold, the fan casting method is clay, and the lost wax rule is the wax model, don't underestimate the difference between just a clay and a wax. <>

This is not only about the smoothness of the surface of the utensils, but also because it greatly improves the production efficiency, and is not limited by the shape of the utensils, and can make almost any desired shape! To sum it up:

1.The outer fan of the fan casting method is generally divided into several pieces, and there will be small seams between the fan blocks, so there will be casting seams on the surface of the cast utensils, and the bottom of the vessel is generally not polished, and it can be seen by careful observation;

However, the lost wax casting mold does not need to open the mold, and it does not need to be divided into several pieces, so the surface finish is higher.

2.The mold and the fan of the fan casting method can only be used once, so the casting of different utensils needs to be remade to make the inner mold and the outer fan, although there is a printing mold in the later stage, but the process is still more complicated.

The lost wax method uses wax with a low melting point as a mold, which greatly simplifies the process of mold making, thereby improving the efficiency of bronze casting.

3.Even if the fan casting method produces the sub-casting method and the printing and molding method, it is still very difficult to cast the utensils with the hollow process, but the lost wax method is not, because the wax model can be melted, so it is especially suitable for the utensils with complicated decorations.

It should be engraved manually, Shang Zhou did not have printing technology at that time, and it was a bit unrealistic to print it.

This is completely hand-carved by craftsmen, mainly using the characteristics of high temperatures.

The most widely used decorative patterns in Shang and Zhou bronzes are tigers, mythical beasts, and so on.

Due to the combination of Shang and Zhou bronze ornaments with royal power and divine power, its mysterious, unique and brilliant artistic characteristics continued for more than ten centuries and created a very strong mysterious atmosphere of early Chinese civilization, which not only directly played and dominated that era, but also had a profound impact on later Chinese culture and art.

Humanoid ornamentation is extremely rare in bronze ornamentation, and when it occasionally appears, it is only in a passive position, while the gluttonous face often forms the center of all decoration, which is daunting.

The hideous and terrifying ornament is the projection of the fear of fate on the decoration of the utensils: it is the embodiment of terror for the alien race, and it is the symbol of victory over fear for the clan.

The decorative patterns of Shang and Zhou bronzes are mainly animals, and the combination of ornamentation and royal power and divine power is particularly prominent, and its mysterious, unique and brilliant artistic characteristics have lasted for more than ten centuries and created a very strong mysterious atmosphere of early Chinese civilization.

With the improvement of smelting and casting technology and the development of history, there are also differences in the morphological characteristics of Shang and Zhou bronzes. The bronzes of the early Shang Dynasty are mainly shaped as Ding, Yue, and Yao. In the late Shang Dynasty, the casting process of bronzes was more exquisite, the shape was rich, and it was popular to decorate various ornaments.

Such as the Simu Wu Fangding unearthed in Yinxu in Anyang, and the dragon and tiger pattern unearthed in Funan, Anhui Province. In the early Western Zhou Dynasty, the bronze craft followed the dignified and elegant style of the late Shang Dynasty, with a slight decrease in wine vessels and an increase in food vessels. In the middle and late Western Zhou Dynasty, slavery tended to stagnate and decline, and the shape and ornamentation of bronze ware became more and more simple.

Mao Gongding and Da Keding unearthed in Fufeng, Shaanxi Province are all typical vessels in the middle and late Western Zhou Dynasty.

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Shang and Zhou bronzes have been cast with various styles of mysterious ornaments since the Shang Dynasty, and the ornaments have changed ingeniously. The inside of the container is cast with the family coat of arms or the name of the ancestor. From the point of view of plastic arts, many bronzes are exquisite arts and crafts.

The close connection between the casting method and the modeling and decoration methods of the bronzes illustrates the tradition of combining art and technology in Chinese arts and crafts.

Judging from the ornamentation of bronze ware, there are gluttonous patterns, thunder patterns, string patterns, fish patterns, bird patterns, turtle patterns, etc.

1. For example, the two bronze shapes and decorations of "Simu Wu Fang Ding" and "Da Yu Ding" are also cast with vivid shapes at the mouth, top cover and edge, and the sharp horns and claws, curly wings and tails, round eyes, and sharp teeth of animals are often deliberately highlighted. More of it is centered on the ridged nose, and the two sideways crest-shaped butts are just spelled together to form a frontal gluttony, which also forms a state of sharp corners rolling, round eyes, bared teeth, and sharp claws. Among the many shapes, the image of gluttony is the most terrifying, this shape is common, and it is engraved on the noble and solemn ritual vessels. Over time, gluttony was refined into a comprehensive bizarre beast face.

It can be seen that the animal face pattern is indeed a symbol of divine kingship.

The monarch mastered the beast-faced artifact, which means that man and god are one, supreme and noble, that is, he has the power of God, and he has also become the son of God and his incarnation.

2. The animal face pattern is the most important decoration theme and pattern examples in the bronze ritual vessels of the Shang and Zhou dynasties: "Simu Wu Fang Ding" and "Da Yu Ding". At the same time, it also alternately interpenetrates with the human face pattern, bird pattern, kui pattern, dragon pattern, etc., which is plausible, with a variety of shapes of evolutionary variants, and always occupies the dominant position of symbolizing the gods.

Most of the ornaments are centered on the animal face pattern, the vertical ribs of the nose and mouth are symmetrical, and the subtheme pattern of the foil is embellished in a secondary position. These cold demeanors give people more of a majestic and mysterious weird color.

Shang and Zhou bronzes are a concentrated reflection of the level of production, technology and artistic development in China's Shang and Zhou dynasties. It has created an aesthetic culture and fashion that takes hideousness as beauty, and also presents the cruel nature of slavery in our country. To sum up, the bronze art of the Shang and Zhou dynasties is a dazzling pearl.

It is known for its rich variety, beautiful shape, gorgeous ornamentation, exquisite production and unique style, and occupies a unique position in the history of world art.

The bronzes of the Shang and Zhou dynasties unearthed in China have decorative patterns. This kind of diagram.

The case was developed from the decorative drawings of pottery in the later period of primitive society. Bronze decorative motifs are characterized by the concave and convex effect, showing the perfect combination of shape and line. Since the ancients began to pursue symmetrical beauty, static beauty, and mysterious beauty in painting, it led to the patterning of primitive pictures.

The common ones are gluttonous patterns, cloud and thunder patterns, crest patterns and scale patterns. Gluttony is a gluttonous monster in ancient legends. The decorative pattern that resembles the image of the head of the gluttony is called the gluttonous pattern.

The cloud and thunder pattern is a geometric shape composed of continuous swirling lines. The dragon pattern is named because it resembles the image of a legendary dragon. Some show buckling forms, while others show several dragons coiled around each other.

Kui is a legendary dragon-like animal, mostly with one horn and one leg, with an open mouth and a curled tail. The scales resemble fish scales, often overlapping the upper and lower layers, and some bronzes are decorated with bird patterns. These ornaments reflect the worship of the gods of the ancients, and also show the power of the slave-owning class - "majesty".

This kind of bronze decorative pattern, on the one hand, reflects the progress of the ancients in the decoration law and image shaping skills, and on the other hand, it also reflects the decline of the simple style and life interest of primitive art. In the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, bronze decoration broke the rigid format of the Shang and Zhou dynasties, which was refreshing. Bronze decorative patterns have developed to reflect new fields such as war scenes and people's daily life, such as the "Water and Land Attack Battle Map" on the Jixian Tongjian, which depicts more than 290 people, including fighting, shooting, rowing, drumming, rewards, farewell and other fiery battle life scenes.

This kind of bronze decorative pictures have a direct impact on the portrait stones and bricks of the Han Dynasty, and even the copper architectural decoration of the Ming Dynasty can also see the legacy of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, such as the Wutai Mountain Copper Hall is evidence. It can be said that bronze decorative patterns are important material materials for the study of Chinese art history. It has a profound impact on the development of copper arts and crafts in later generations.

The source of modern bronze relief is bronze decorative drawings.

When watching the treasure hunt show, experts say that it is the gluttonous pattern that is the most important ornamental feature.