China's top ten tripods

1. Simuwu Ding (Houmuwu Ding) is the heaviest bronze in the Shang Dynasty

The Simuwu Ding was unearthed in 1939 from an ancient tomb of the Shang Dynasty in Yinxu, Anyang, Henan. , is a sacrificial vessel made by Shang King Zu Geng or Zu Jia to worship his mother Wu. It is a representative work of bronzes in the Shang and Zhou dynasties. It is a national first-class cultural relic and has been collected in the National Museum as a treasure since 1959.

The tripod is 133 cm high, 112 cm long, 79.2 cm wide, and weighs 832.84 kg. It is the heaviest single bronze ritual vessel discovered in ancient China. It was cast using the pottery molding method. The Simuwu Ding weighing 832.84 kilograms in the late Shang Dynasty required at least 1,000 kilograms of raw materials and the close cooperation of about two to three hundred craftsmen to complete it. This fully reflects the grandeur of the bronze casting industry in the mid-Shang Dynasty. scale.

2. Siyang Fangzun from the Shang Dynasty

The Siyang Fangzun was unearthed in 1938 on the mountainside of Zhuoerlun in Yueshanpu, Huangcai Town, Ningxiang County, Hunan. It is a bronze ritual vessel from the late Shang Dynasty. Sacrificial supplies. It is one of the top ten national treasures handed down from generation to generation and is collected in the National Museum of China.

The Siyang Square Zun is the largest bronze square statue from the Shang Dynasty that still exists in China. Each side is 52.4 cm long, 58.3 cm high, and weighs 34.5 kg. It has a long neck, high ring feet, and a towering neck. The four sides are decorated with banana leaf patterns, triangular Kui patterns and animal face patterns. The middle of the statue is the center of gravity. Each of the four corners of the statue is shaped like a sheep. The four corners of the shoulder are 4 sheep heads with curled horns. The head and neck of the statue are stretched out. Coming out of the vessel, the body and legs of the sheep are attached to the belly and feet of the statue.

At the same time, the shoulder of the Fang Zun is decorated with a high-relief dragon pattern with a snake body and claws. In the center of the four sides of the statue, where the two sheep are next to each other, a pair of horned dragon heads poke out from the table. From the right shoulder of each side of the Fang Zun Meandering in the middle of the front house. The entire object was cast using the block mold method, and it was completed in one go. It showed superb casting skills and was called "the ultimate bronze model" by historians.

3. Bronze large standing human figure, bronze vertical-eyed human god statue unearthed from Sanxingdui in the Shang Dynasty

The Sanxingdui site is 3000-5000 years old and is known as the "ninth wonder of the world". This artifact is a very famous and representative one of the Sanxingdui bronze artifacts.

A large bronze statue, 180 cm tall and 260.8 cm tall, was unearthed from the No. 1 sacrificial pit at the Sanxingdui site. Weighing about 180 kilograms, it is the tallest and most complete standing bronze statue in existence. Known as the "King of Bronze Statues in the World". The statue is inlaid-cast using the segmented casting method and is exquisitely crafted. It is unique in the archaeological history of the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties so far.

The bronze portrait with vertical eyes, 138 cm wide and 66 cm high, comes from the No. 2 sacrificial pit. Among the many bronze masks unearthed in Sanxingdui, the most unique and majestic one is the bronze mask with vertical eyes.

4. Duke Mao Tripod is the bronze vessel with the most inscriptions in the Western Zhou Dynasty

Duke Mao Tripod, a bronze vessel cast by Mao Gong in the late Western Zhou Dynasty, was unearthed in Qishan, Shaanxi Province in the 23rd year of Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty (1843). (now Qishan County, Baoji City), collected in the National Palace Museum in Taipei, and is one of the three treasures of the National Palace Museum in Taipei.

The tripod is 53.8 cm high and 47.9 cm in diameter. It is round in shape, with two erect ears, a deep belly and an outer drum, and three hoofed feet. The mouth edge is decorated with a belt-like heavy ring pattern, and the shape is dignified and steady.

The inscription inside the tripod is 499 words long, recording Duke Mao’s heartfelt advice to King Xuan of Zhou for the country, and is known as "worthy of a ministerial book". His calligraphy is a mature style of Western Zhou Dynasty bronze inscriptions, with a strange and flying style, a vigorous and solemn atmosphere, a round and vigorous brushwork, and a square and long structure. It is an important historical material for studying the political history of the late Western Zhou Dynasty.

5. Lotus and Crane Square Pot of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty

Spring and Autumn Lotus and Crane Square Pot, a bronze wine or water vessel in the mid-Spring and Autumn Period, was unearthed in 1923 at Zhenggong University in Lijialou, Xinzheng, Henan The tombs, one is collected in the Bronze Hall of the Palace Museum in Beijing, and the other is collected in the Henan Museum. China is among the first batch of cultural relics banned from being exhibited abroad.

The main part of this pot is a square pot shape that has been popular since the late Western Zhou Dynasty. It has a lid, two ears, and a ring foot. It has a decorative effect and reflects important changes in the aesthetic concepts of bronze art in the Spring and Autumn Period. The production skills of the Lotus Crane Square Pot are very high, using complex techniques such as split casting, round carving, bas-relief, fine engraving, and welding. The craftsmanship is exquisite. Many techniques have been lost and cannot be copied or imitated using the most advanced modern technology.

6. Sword of Goujia, King of Yue, Spring and Autumn Period

Sword of Goujia, a bronze vessel of the Yue Kingdom in the late Spring and Autumn Period, was unearthed from Chu Tomb No. 5 in Mashan, Jiangling, Hubei Province. Also known as "the best sword in the world". Collection and Hubei Provincial Museum.

Because the sword is plated with a layer of 0.1 mm chromium, it will remain stainless for thousands of years. After non-destructive scientific testing, its main alloy components are copper, tin, lead, iron, sulfur, etc. The pattern has high sulfur content, because copper sulfide can prevent rust. This anti-rust technology existed as early as 2,500 years ago, which is amazing. The sword is 55.7 cm high, 4.6 cm wide, 8.4 cm long, and weighs 875 grams. It is extremely sharp. It is engraved with the characters "King Yue Jiu Qian, since he first used Qi".

In 1983, the spear of King Wu Fucha was unearthed from another Chu tomb one kilometer away. The inscription on it was exactly the same as the sword: "King Wu Fucha used his own spear." It is also collected today. At the Hubei Provincial Museum.

7. The Chime Bell of Marquis Yi of Zeng and the Warring States Period

The Chime Bell of Marquis Yi of Zeng, an early cultural relic of the Warring States Period, was unearthed in Suixian County, Hubei Province (now Suizhou City) in 1978. It was one of the first batch of items banned from leaving the country. ) exhibition of cultural relics.

The bell frame is in the shape of a ruler, 11.83 meters long, and divided into three layers: upper, middle and lower. There are a total of 65 chimes in the set, with a total weight of 2,500 kilograms. Its sound range spans five and a half octaves and twelve semitones. Complete, each button bell and Yong bell can produce two syllables, forming the phenomenon of "one bell with two tones", showing a harmonious relationship between the major and minor thirds, which is extremely rare in the history of world music. It is the largest and best-preserved set of more than 40 sets of chimes unearthed in China. It is also the most magnificent and exquisite large-scale musical instrument in the history of China and the world. Its superb casting technology and good musical performance have rewritten the history of world music, and are called "rare treasures" by Chinese and foreign experts and scholars.

8. The Bronze Chariot and Horse from the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor is the largest bronze artifact in the Qin Dynasty

The Bronze Chariot and Horse from the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor is a large-scale bronze chariot model buried with the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor. It was unearthed in Lintong, Shaanxi, China in 1980. The west side of the tomb of Qin Shihuang's Mausoleum. It is the earliest, largest and most complete copper-cast chariot and horse discovered so far.

***Two multiplications, one in front and one in back. After restoration, it is about half the size of a real horse and consists of more than 7,000 parts. The production period was approximately during the construction period of the tomb, that is, between 221 BC and 210 BC.

The two bronze chariots and horses were cast in advance and then processed in detail. The level of craftsmanship is very high. The copper wire used for the tassels and chains on the bronze horse is only about half a millimeter in diameter, and some are even thinner. It is speculated that the bronze chariot and horse pit should be part of the burial pits accompanying Qin Shihuang's mausoleum. It is of extremely important historical value for the study of ancient Chinese chariot and horse system, sculpture art and smelting technology. It is a national treasure and a special cultural relic.

9. Changxin Palace Lantern, the first lantern in China in the Western Han Dynasty

Changxin Palace Lantern in the Western Han Dynasty, a bronze ware of the Han Dynasty, was built in Mancheng County, Hebei Province (now Mancheng County, Baoding City, Hebei Province) in 1968 About 1.5 kilometers southwest of the cliff), it was unearthed from the tomb of Dou Wan [wǎn], the wife of Liu Sheng, King Jing of Zhongshan, and is now in the Hebei Provincial Museum.

The body of the palace lantern is a gilded palace lady sitting in a posture with a lantern in both hands, with a calm and elegant expression. The lamp body is 48 cm high and weighs 15.85 kg. The design of the Changxin palace lantern is very clever. The palace maid holds the lantern in one hand, and the sleeve of the other hand seems to be blocking the wind. It is actually a siphon to absorb oil smoke, which not only prevents air pollution, but also has aesthetic value. This palace lantern got its name because it was once placed in the Changxin Palace of Empress Dowager Dou (grandmother of Liu Sheng). In 2010, it was exhibited as an exhibit at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo in China.

10. Bronze Galloping Horse (Horse Treading on Flying Swallow), a Chinese tourism symbol in the Eastern Han Dynasty

Horse Treading on Flying Swallow is also known as Ma Chao Longque, Bronze Galloping Horse, Horse Attacking Crow, Eagle (Harrier) ) Plundering Horse, Horse Trampling a Flying Falcon, Ling Yun Galloping Horse, etc. are Eastern Han Dynasty bronzes and were unearthed in 1969 from the Leitai Han Tomb in Wuwei City, Gansu Province. It was unearthed from the tomb of Zhang, a military commander who guarded Zhangye during the Eastern Han Dynasty, and his wife, and is now in the Gansu Provincial Museum.

"Horse Steps on Flying Swallow" is 34.5 cm tall, 45 cm long and 13 cm wide. From a mechanical analysis, the horse stepping on Feiyan found the center of gravity for Feiyan and created stability. It has been regarded as a symbol of the superb casting industry in ancient China since it was unearthed.

In October 1983, "Horse Treading on Flying Swallows" was designated as China's tourism symbol by the National Tourism Administration. In 1985, the bronze galloping horse was identified as the graphic symbol of China's tourism industry by the National Tourism Administration under the name "Ma Chao Longque", and it has been used to this day.

It was designated as a national treasure in 1986