The applications of china bronze sculpture

Although the slave community, but the number of slaves are not many, not the main sectors of society, and slavery is principally engaged in service, in particular, agricultural production, social production is not dominant. Líng (鈴) is a small bronze sculpture (as might be hung from ribbons). Therefore, we believe that during the Shang and Zhou ritual society can be described as aristocratic society. The Shang and Zhou bronze ritual is nobility in a variety of ceremonial events during the use of bronze, and its production should be from the Shang and Zhou dynasties hereditary family to handicraft production.

While there may be some of the slaves to participate, but must be noble bronze ritual salute needs, political needs of the aristocracy, and the early religious beliefs and aesthetics to create, the idea can never be a slave to make press. Ling, a sort of bronze sculpture is the original form and the earliest of musical instruments. Therefore, we believe that the nature of the Shang and Zhou bronze arts reflect the aristocratic ideology of art, not the people's art, but art is not a slave. Although the Shang and Zhou dynasties of art from the art of primitive society, but it has been essential, fundamental transformation.

In the past, foreign academics for the Shang and Zhou bronze animal decorations (including the bronze in the Animal Mask) understanding of the social function of a variety of perspectives, some Western scholars believe that the bronze decoration (including animal decoration) is only decorative patterns, without any religious or ideological significance. We believe that this view is clearly wrong. The chinese bronze sculpture are often unearthed with the harness and weapons that they were hanging from the horse or carriages. Because of the Shang and Zhou bronzes is not a pure work of art for art appreciation, but the practical arts and crafts, but the first of its usefulness, and not only enjoy playing with the plaything.

20 1950s and 1960s, the domestic epidemic is to frighten the slave said, that the Shang and Zhou bronze decoration on the pattern of these mysterious animals in order to frighten slaves, and slaves looked after, being scared obediently accepted the brutality of slave owners rule. This has been said many do not use. Almost all the ancient sculpture in bronze, such as nao, zheng and zhong can all be classified as the improvement of ling(铃). The reason is simple, Shang and Zhou bronze ritual is noble salute when the supplies, such as ceremonial vessels in the ancestral temple is Chen. In these ceremonial occasions, the nobility was not invited to participate in slavery, that slavery is generally not visible on the bronze ritual and decoration of the mysterious animal.

Of course, to talk about with the decoration to scare the animals in order to consolidate his master's slave rule. Since the 1980s, widespread in the United States Mr. Zhang Guangzhi Harvard professor's view that the animals on the Shang and Zhou bronze decoration was the shaman's assistant for witchcraft activities, being a shaman through the world of tools. The applications of china bronze sculpture itself has gradually changed. I think this is also debatable.

First, I think Mr. Zhang Guangzhi the premise put forward that view does not apply to ancient China. Later the most common form of bronze sculpture is Aeolian bell hung from the large buildings. Mr. Zhang Guangzhi the Shang and Zhou civilization, civilization as witchcraft, the Shang and Zhou bronze ritual as a shaman (shaman) for instruments used in witchcraft activities, it is not in line with the actual history of the Shang and Zhou periods. "Shaman," the word comes from the Tungus language, meaning "excited", "the mad person," Shaman's main feature is that he (she) has a special ability, and in God or gods and between act as a mediator between his important function of medical treatment, presided over ritual.