Animal-shaped bronze vessels

Some bronze vessels of the Shang Dynasty (C.1600-1046BC) take the shape of animals that look strange to capture viewers' fancy. A most striking example is a wine vessel excavated from the tomb of Fu Hao, a concubine of King Wuding of Shang, in Anyang, Henan Province. The vessel takes the shape of an animal with a head that looks like a horse head but with goat horns. Its fore feet are in the shape of hoofs, which are longer than the hind feet shaped like bird claws. The thighs have a wing on each, and on the back of the animal there is a dragon with horns. Another wine vessel excavated from the same tomb goes beyond the wildest imagination of the viewers. Seen from the front, a tiger greets the viewers' eyes and looked at them from behind, viewers see a vulture-like bird.

An owl-shaped wine vessel unearthed from the tomb of Fu Hao at Anyang, Henan Province. Fu Hao was a royal concubine of the Shang Dynasty.

Bronze figures

Human figures are also found among bronze artifacts produced during the Shang and Zhou (1046BC-221BC) dynasties. The mysterious Sanxingdui Ruins in Sichuan Province has stunned the world archeological community with its unique cultural importance. Among the numerous cultural relics excavated from the site is a bronze human figure 262 centimeters in height. The statue, barefoot and with a pair of bracelets around the ankles, stands on a platform. It "wears" a long robe with cloud patterns. Bronze human figures from Sanxingdui, which are semi-realistic, and semi-abstract in style, are the earliest of their kind found in China. From these we may acquire some idea of the physical features of the people in the area.

A Shang Dynasty bronze figure unearthed at the Sanxingdui Ruins in Southwest China's Sichuan Province

About the book

Chinese Cultural Relics/ written by Li Li Published by China Intercontinental Press