Keywords: Xia Dynasty bronzes; Modeling; Geometric pattern; Animal patterns; Moral symbol; Solemn and heavy
Abstract: As the development period of the Bronze Age in China, the aesthetic characteristics of the bronze wares in Xia Dynasty are highlighted in the modeling forms and ornamentation of drinking vessels and weapons. Although the bronzes of this period are still relatively simple, their shapes with practical functions and formal aesthetics, as well as varied geometric decorations and solemn animal decorations, show their distinctive aesthetic style of the times: symbolic meaning, dignified and heavy, and overall compatibility, which makes preparations for the arrival of the bronze prosperity of Shang and Zhou Dynasties and aesthetic shapes, decorative patterns and styles.
Keywords: Xia Dynasty bronzes; Modeling; Geometric texture; Animal grain; Moral symbol; Dignified
As early as 6500 years ago, the ancestors of Yangshao culture in Jiangzhai, Lintong, Shaanxi Province cast the first piece of copper. Later, from Majiayao culture to Longshan culture era, the ancestors left behind the bronze bell of Taosi site, the residual copper pieces and crucible pieces of Dengfeng Wang Chenggang site. In the Qijia culture period in Qinghai, Gansu, they started forging or cold forging bronze knives, chisels, cones, drills, axes, knives, rings, trinkets and mirrors. These show the slow transition of China culture from "Bronze Age" to "Bronze Age". In the Xia Dynasty, bronze technology developed greatly on the basis of summarizing the experience of Neolithic artifacts manufacturing. Erlitou Site in Yanshi and Dongxiafeng Site in Xiaxian are unique early bronze cultural areas, which are roughly consistent with the rule of Xia Dynasty recorded in China history. Archaeological excavations of a large number of bronzes, as well as some historical facts of Xia people-such as Yu Xia's "Gong Jin Jiumu, Casting Ding utensils" ("Zuo Zhuan? Gong Xuan three years ")," copper as a soldier "("Yue Jue Shu? Remember the sword), copper mining and smelting in late summer. , can also confirm each other. In particular, the slag, copper crucible fragments and pottery fragments unearthed from Erlitou site indicate that the bronze smelting workshop has begun to take shape. Therefore, "the massive casting and use of bronzes is one of the important features of Erlitou culture ... Erlitou culture has entered the development period of China Bronze Age" [1]. The bronzes of Xia Dynasty have begun to go out of the primitive stage of the Neolithic bronze manufacturing, and a large number of ritual vessels and weapons have formed the basic pattern of Chinese bronze modeling. The mysterious animal face pattern opens the main pattern of Chinese bronze decoration, and the solemn and heavy aesthetic feeling represents the overall artistic style of Chinese bronze, which makes necessary preparations for the arrival of the heyday of bronze art in Shang and Zhou Dynasties.
Model form
In the Xia civilization represented by Erlitou cultural site, the unearthed bronzes mainly include wine vessels, horns, cups and cookers, gongs, cymbals and cymbals in weapons, bells in musical instruments, bronze ornaments inlaid with turquoise animal faces and residual foot-winding devices, thus establishing the status of Chinese bronzes as ritual vessels and weapons.
Among the numerous vessel shapes, as far as the bronze knight is concerned, "the bronze knight of Erlitou culture generally has two shapes." One is primitive, that is, the style of the knight basically imitates the style of the ceramic knight. Its shape is similar to that of the handmade pottery Jue unearthed from Erlitou site, with a thin waist, a flat bottom and short feet. Lotus leaf-shaped mouth and irregular flow, the appearance is quite similar to handmade pottery. The other type is more exquisite, with even and thin walls, long and narrow flow and beautiful and fine lines. Although they are all thin-waisted and flat-bottomed, they are obviously carefully trimmed in advance, and the three feet are slender and slightly curved. " [2]. This change of primitive type and exquisite type actually reflects the aesthetic evolution process of bronze sculpture from simple to complex and diverse, from extensive type to exquisite type from early summer to late summer.
The shape of early bronzes was mainly influenced by various pottery of the same period. For example, the bronze three-legged moire tripod used as a food container in early summer is short, columnless and straight, and its ancestor is a Neolithic pottery tripod; As a wine vessel, the bronze waist-girding Jue has no column, is as thin as Gu Zhuo, and is full of original flavor. Its shape of flow length, pitch and body flattening is exactly the same as that of Sanli Bridge in Longshan culture in western Henan and Hougang in northern Henan. It didn't get rid of the strong characteristics of Tao Jue's three short pointed feet attached to the outside of the bottom of the vessel, which were round in shape and without angular changes, and even "didn't form the accurate shape and strong outline unique to bronze ware." Tongwei's mouth edge also corresponds to the folded edge type and waste edge type of Yu Tao's mouth edge, and its foot still follows the regular cone of Tao Ge's foot. Therefore, the bronze containers of this period are "almost the same in shape and characteristics as the pottery of the same period, and their development and evolution are also synchronized with the corresponding pottery" [4]. The bronzes in the early summer are still in the pottery-making stage of their ancestors, and have not yet formed their own independent aesthetic characteristics.
In the late Xia Dynasty, bronzes were exquisite and had certain aesthetic value. At this time, the characteristics of pottery in the shape of bronze Jue decreased obviously. While paying attention to practicality, it also pays great attention to the sense of form. Two nail-shaped columns with close distance and decorative features are added. The three legs are regularly distributed, close to an isosceles triangle, and the mouth edge is concave and curved. In addition, there is a big bent pin on the side of Jue, and two long and narrow lettering holes are cast on the pin surface, which not only effectively controls the thickness of the pin, but also adds decorative lettering patterns; 1959 the nipple liner wheel rescued from the scrap copper in Shanghai Museum has a unique shape, with an inclined wheel on one side and two square ornaments cast on it. It has a wide fake abdomen under the stirrup, and a number of hollow round holes are cast on it, forming a hollow decorative effect. Especially in Erlitou, the nipple-shaped long flowing Jue unearthed in Erlitou is particularly slender, and there is a trough-shaped tail corresponding to it, which not only balances the center of gravity, but also looks slender and slender, and the tips of the three legs are curved and left out in the cold. These all complement each other with the flat and straight style of olive-shaped Jue body, which broke away from the Tao Jue system in Xia Dynasty and became the image representative of Chinese wine. At this time, the bronze tripod has a deep belly, with three hollow feet in the shape of a quadrangular cone, and two ears standing at the mouth, one of which is perpendicular to one foot and the other is located in the middle of the other two feet. The overall modeling has both practical and aesthetic requirements, giving people a neat and lively aesthetic feeling and showing harmony in comparison. At the same time, an innovative coffin with high neck, flat abdomen and straight wall (M9: 1, Erlitou Site Area 6) appeared in this period, with two Mitsubishi conical short columns at the mouth edge, protruding abdomen and three hollow conical feet at the bottom. The coffin wall is very thin, and its advanced design is directly the ancestor of Erligang culture bronze coffin. The technology of uniform thinning of the processor wall in the late Xia Dynasty also created a novel design of bronze wares in Shang Dynasty.
Second, the decorative implication
On the one hand, the decorative patterns of bronze wares in Xia Dynasty inherited the decorative patterns of gray pottery and ritual jade in the same period, and on the other hand, combined with the characteristics of the formation stage of authoritarian society at that time, the decorative patterns were sublated to a certain extent, so both the structural characteristics and expression methods of decorative patterns formed distinct characteristics of the times. In the Xia Dynasty, the decorative patterns of blue bronzes were mostly solid beaded patterns like milk nails or round cakes, as well as geometric patterns such as chords and Yun Leiwen. Although the decorative patterns with the theme of gluttonous animals directly carved on Shang bronzes have not been found, the basic pattern of animal patterns has been formed on the bronze ornaments of animal heads inlaid with turquoise unearthed from Erlitou site, thus opening the precedent of animal patterns on Chinese bronzes.
(1) geometric texture
Geometric patterns appeared on painted pottery in the Neolithic Age, but in the Xia Dynasty, bronzes began to imitate various geometric patterns of pottery, and some simple Julian patterns, string patterns and Yun Leiwen appeared, thus opening a precedent for decorative patterns of Chinese bronzes. Although these geometric patterns are relatively simple and flat, they not only have formal changes and structural beauty, but also reflect rich aesthetic fashion and cultural connotation of the times.
The earliest beading patterns were small beads, arranged horizontally in single row and double rows, and circular patterns were also divided into solid and hollow patterns, which were mostly decorated on the shoulders of utensils or the edges of covers, and their formation also experienced a certain evolution process. For example, the chest nail on bronze ware may be the unity of practical anti-collision function and relatively regular decorative function at first, and then the practical function degenerates and gradually evolves into a special decorative pattern. As a simple and primitive decoration on bronzes, Erlitou nipple pattern, which protrudes from the neck, is formed on the practical basis of anti-slip. According to textual research, bead embroidery patterns are printed on pottery models with tubular devices. The circles are densely spaced and neatly arranged. Although not strict, it looks natural. For example, the Erlitou Copper Jue is also decorated with irregular dot patterns, which are arranged in one direction or two directions. Similarly, there is a copper horn collected by Shanghai Museum, and the lower part of its cup body is also made of round beads.
Chord pattern is also a simple decorative pattern on bronze ware, which is a raised straight line or horizontal line, simple and simple. Generally used in conjunction with papillary beaded patterns, it is often used as the border of beaded patterns. For example, at the end of summer, Liu Jue's neck is decorated with three strings, which are mixed with dense double-row nipple lines, which is regular and changeable; The bronze coffin unearthed in Erlitou is decorated with two convex strings on the front of the waist and abdomen opposite to the coffin, with a row of five chest nails in the middle, thus forming a wide band pattern composed of convex strings and ring patterns on the abdomen, which is concise and neat, forming a unique form of bronze decoration in Xia Dynasty, which is very different from other stages of the bronze age.
Yun Leiwen is the most typical geometric pattern on the bronze wares of Xia Dynasty, which was carved on the pottery model with sharp tools. Round and soft moire patterns and square overlapping thunder patterns appear constantly, forming convoluted lines that look natural and smooth. The belly of the bronze tripod in Xia Dynasty was generally decorated, especially the bronze tripod in Erlitou District 6 (KM3: 2), in which the back of the Song Dynasty was also cast with raised moire patterns, and turquoise was embedded in the grooves between the patterns, which made it look lovely and mysterious, and integrated solemnity with aesthetics. This Yun Leiwen's male lines all form a circle in the middle of the decoration, which looks like a mysterious and hideous squint pattern, surrounded by abstract and changeable male lines. The whole composition is concise and vivid, combining ugliness with vividness, which is probably the fetal shape of the animal face pattern on the bronze tripod of Shang and Zhou Dynasties.
In addition, the geometric patterns in Erlitou culture also have vortex patterns similar to water vortex; Grid patterns formed by criss-crossing male lines, such as the M 1: 1 bronze tripod in the fifth area of Erlitou site, are decorated with rough strip grid patterns; There is also a cross pattern inlaid with turquoise. Such as 1975, a round bronze unearthed from Erlitou site in Yanshi, with two thick cross patterns in the middle. Another square square inlaid with a cross pattern at the end of summer is also inlaid with small turquoise pieces with regular shapes around its central round hole, and is surrounded by two circles with turquoise pieces inside and outside. The whole pattern is orderly and changeable. The cross pattern, the circular pattern and the central sculpture form a Fiona Fang, which embodies the harmonious sense of form of the integration of reality and reality.
(2) Animal patterns
It was not until the late Xia Dynasty that the appearance of bronze ornamentation marked the abstract animal face pattern with exaggerated form or imaginary animal head as the main body in Chinese bronzes, which is also the earliest animal pattern found on bronzes so far. Except for the eyes, other parts of animal heads with decorative patterns are abstract, not concrete. This can be traced back to the strange animal patterns on the stone hairpin of Longshan cultural site. The curve of the body is very similar to the bronze animal face pattern, and there are similar monster patterns on the pottery figurines found in the first phase of Erlitou cultural relics in Xinzhai. The animal face pattern on the bronze medal in Xia Dynasty is simple and simple in design, which particularly highlights the order of animals. Later, it gradually developed into a gluttonous pattern on the handle of Erlitou jade, and became the ancestor of the animal face pattern and gluttonous pattern on bronze containers in the early Shang Dynasty and later. Li Xueqin also pointed out the aesthetic transition when analyzing the gluttonous patterns of Shandong Rizhao Jade Hostel and the turquoise copper plaque inlaid in Erlitou, Yanshi, Henan: "The gluttonous patterns of Shandong Longshan culture and Erlitou culture can really be regarded as the intermediary between Liangzhu culture and Shang Dynasty" [5]. In the Xia Dynasty, the edge of the lid of some bronze wine vessels was decorated with deformed animal patterns, which highlighted the frightening eyes and created a dignified atmosphere, which not only echoed the etiquette and rank status of users, but also confirmed the myths and legends about dragons in the Xia Dynasty. The animal pattern decoration on Xia bronzes is the origin of similar bronzes in Shang and Zhou dynasties, and the deformed animal pattern also constitutes the main body of bronze decoration.
In short, the bronze decoration in the late summer, on the one hand, endowed the external form of bronze with brilliance and splendor. For example, the surface of bronzes is carved with a single-layer flat carving pattern, and the patterns are mostly banded, which often gives people strength and sharp touch, as well as a smooth and round visual experience. "Flexible linear ornamentation makes up for the lack of bronze body characteristics and gives dignified bronze a breath of life" [6], forming a combination of rigidity and softness. On the other hand, it carries a specific cultural connotation and spiritual characteristics. The ancestors of Xia Dynasty carved images of reality and imagination on bronze ritual vessels symbolizing power, dignity and sacrifice. For example, the decoration of Jiuding in Xia Dynasty not only satisfied its religious worship of the dragon god, but also carved the natural resources and wealth from all over the world into images on the tripod, as a symbol of emperors enjoying spiritual objects and paying tribute, highlighting its political significance in seizing political power and establishing prestige in reality.
Three artistic styles
Due to the evolution of technology, the bronzes of Xia Dynasty greatly promoted the materialization of our ancestors' aesthetic ideals. In the aesthetic design of the shapes and ornamentation of various objects, the spiritual connotation and life customs of Xia Dynasty, a brand-new social form, were fully absorbed, and the ideology of all social strata, especially the ruling class, was cast visually and abstractly on this noble and elegant bronze ware, forming a unique bronze artistic style with the characteristics of the times: meaningful symbol, solemn and heavy, and strong overall adaptability.
One is symbolic. The specific functions of bronze ritual vessels and weapons in Xia Dynasty and the cultural connotation of their carving patterns are very symbolic, which not only embodies the use and worship of the so-called natural forces by the nobles and the lower classes in Xia Dynasty, but also directly symbolizes the political power and hierarchy of the society at that time. Bronze ritual vessels and weapons are solemn in shape and gradually mysterious in ornamentation, which occupies an important position in Zhong Ming Shi Ding. Zuozhuan? "Three Years in Gong Xuan" contains: "Last summer, there was virtue, things were painted far away, Jin Jiu herded animals, cast tripod things, and everything was prepared, which made people know that God was treacherous." The decorative pattern of bronze Jiuding in Xia Dynasty still implies a certain ideographic meaning behind the image. The size, weight, different shapes and decorative patterns of Ding symbolize various things and grades, which is not only the embodiment of natural resources and wealth all over the world. Judging from its straight and bladeless shape and the ornamentation inlaid with turquoise crosses, the square cymbals unearthed in the late Xia Dynasty should not be simple weapons, "but may be used as a ritual function, a symbol of military power and a special weapon of real master status" [3], which symbolizes the ideological and spiritual connotation of this particular historical stage of the Xia Dynasty.
At the same time, the decorative patterns of bronze wares in Xia Dynasty also developed from imitating biochemical forms to abstracting. For example, the cross pattern on the box with the cross pattern is an abstract line. The bronze animal face plaque unearthed from M4 in Erlitou Area 5 has prominent round eyes and obvious decorative and abstract features. Xia Dynasty is an era full of cruel wars and slavery. This kind of animal face decoration "on the one hand is the embodiment of terror, on the other hand is to protect the gods." It is a symbol of intimidation to different clans and tribes; It also has the power to protect clans and tribes. This dual religious concept, emotion and imagination are all condensed in this strange and gloomy image [7], and the symbol of kingship of bronze ritual vessels in Xia Dynasty is undoubtedly reflected in its ornamentation, especially the animal face pattern. Therefore, the richness of social life and religious etiquette in the Xia Dynasty, especially the spiritual characteristics of bronze ritual vessels and weapons, strengthened the symbolic significance of the creation of artifacts in the Xia Dynasty.
The second is solemn and heavy. Bronze ware, as the first heavy weapon of the country in Xia Dynasty, was much more ceremonial than the pottery popular in the whole society at that time. Whether it is hard in texture, dignified in color, unique in modeling and different in patterns, it has integrated aesthetic form factors on the basis of pottery and jade, showing a dignified aesthetic style, forming a solemn and heavy beauty with a unique flavor of the times. For example, the Qing Bronze Jue in Xia Dynasty reformed the basic shape of the former Taojue, striving to make the proportion of the utensils coordinated, the proportion of the left, the middle and the right balanced, so that the center of gravity of the utensils fell in the center, thus achieving a calm visual effect. At the same time, the placement of fittings such as flow tubes is also carried out under the principle of not destroying the overall balance, which becomes an effective means to adjust the balance and appears neat and solemn; Although the eyes inlaid with turquoise animal facial patterns and the abstract lines around them are simple in decoration, they highlight the cruelty and cruelty of mysterious animals, and adopt a symmetrical and balanced way to give people a solemn aesthetic feeling.
At the same time, the social and political functions of Xia bronzes also greatly influenced the development direction of bronze art, such as the geometric Fiona Fang structure, the change of the ratio of length to size, and the square belly with three legs running through the bottom, which was in harmony with the standardization of Li Xia. For example, the bronze tripod is further integrated into the concept of the state on the basis of imitating the shape of the Neolithic pottery tripod. Symmetrical and regular ears stand on the edge of the mouth, and solid and vigorous three feet are carried under the round belly, creating a heavy and steady atmosphere, which truly has the bearing of "Tintin" and becomes a symbol of the country. On the basis of lively and pleasant natural beauty, the thick, delicate, regular and elegant Xia artifacts have formed the thick and mysterious beauty of Zhuang Yan, which has become the mainstream of Xia bronze art and one of the aesthetic characteristics of the whole three generations of bronze art. Therefore, the formation of the overall style of Xia bronzes, on the one hand, is related to the inheritance and innovation of bronze art itself, on the other hand, external society, politics and culture have also played an important role in its evolution, thus realizing the perfect unity of the overall modeling and decorative style of the utensils and the solemn atmosphere of the real social power hierarchy.
The third is the overall adaptability. The bronzes in Xia Dynasty paid special attention to the overall adaptability of the shape, decoration and function of the objects. "The overall artistic modeling of bronzes is mainly the image characteristics of objects and the overall adaptation level of various accessories and ornamentation" [8]. Therefore, the overall artistic modeling of the Xia Dynasty bronze wares is also reflected in the integrity and correspondence of the shapes, ornamentation and functions of the wares. In terms of expression forms and techniques, they all pay attention to the close relationship between unique modeling and its special functions, and pay attention to the "conformal modeling" method when patterns and patterns are combined in specific parts of various vessels. For example, the nail-shaped column Jue collected in Shanghai Museum has a very thin waist, forming a section, with the tail protruding upwards and the tapered foot set aside from the lower part, which is convenient for drinking and placing, and the shape and function are perfectly combined. In addition, the decorative patterns of Xia bronzes are "rigorous in layout and exquisite in craftsmanship". Although they are a kind of decorative art, the shapes of bronzes are consistent, which shows the characteristics of arts and crafts of an era and also reflects people's ideology at that time. [9] These decorative images are attached to different bronze styles with different social customs and production purposes in different times, showing different spiritual connotations and artistic interests, thus highlighting the Qing Dynasty in Xia Dynasty. For example, the shield-shaped bronze ornaments unearthed from Erlitou site, the convex surface of which is arranged into bas-relief animal images with turquoise pieces of various shapes, are mostly various variants of dragons, and some of the lower parts are decorated with cirrus patterns. The majesty and freedom of flying dragons are complementary to the dragon worship thought of Xia ancestors and the etiquette function of bronze ornaments. The ornamentation and function of bronze ornaments have been integrated into the imagination of Xia ancestors.
"China really entered the bronze age from about 265,438+0th century BC, from 265,438+0th century BC to the middle of 5th century AD, including Xia, Shang, Western Zhou, Spring and Autumn Period recorded in ancient literature. This is the bronze age of China. The time is about 1, 600 years "[1, 600 years], and in the evolution of 1, 600 years, the two major craft shapes of Xia Dynasty's ritual vessels and weapons, the craft decoration of geometric patterns and animal faces, and the solemn and heavy aesthetic artistic style with unique characteristics of the times undoubtedly played a decisive role, which is the bronze craft of China.
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