In this paper, we provide a formal analysis of two kinds of vessels that were in ancient China known as bronze vessels. We examine the similarities as well as the differences attendant to the two vessels as well as the impact and the roles that they played in the society. One of the ritual vessels that we consider was known as hu of the Chinese Eastern Zhou Dynasty of the Warring States Period. The other vessel is the ritual vessel guang of the Zhouyuan Archeology Team, Shanxi Province.
The ritual vessel hu is an example of a vessel used for wine that resembles a pear in shape with a swollen body which flares into a narrow neck. This forms an S-shaped profile with a longer body and neck. This shape of the vessel probably derives from the ceramic prototype that was existent, prior to the Shang dynasty. In addition, the hu vessel usually has handles on the top or rings that are usually attached to the side of the neck. Many of the hu vessels lack lids while those that are excavated in tombs point to the fact that the vessels may have originally had lids. The most common hu vessels like this one in particular is circular in shape as can be seen from the image through there are a few which are either square or rectangular in form (Loehr). In the case of a guang vessel, it is of a particular shape which resembles an animal, as opposed to the circularly shaped hu. A guang vessel is a type of ewer that was used for pouring of rice wine at banquets and in other burial ceremonies that were of high status. We may thus describe the shape of a guang vessel as a ewer, a ritual wine vessel or a wine pourer which looks like a kettle. In addition, the guang vessel has a thick foot as well as a thick hollow body that looks more like an animal, with some of the vessels having a head at both of the ends. It usually has a vertical handle at one of its ends and a spout at the other end. This handle of this vessel resembles the head and neck of an animal that has stylized horns while the spout of the vessel looks like a head of an animal or creature. The animal head at the back is located at the end used for pouring and is usually a removable lid which is normally removed or lifted off while pouring contents (Delbanco).
With regard to decorations, the guang can be easily distinguished from the hu and indeed, other types of vessels by virtue of its zoomorphic lid and its handle as well as the one foot base. There is also a décor of an animal tiger at the front of the lid with the sculpted handle ranging in decorations of figures of various creatures. Such creatures which may form decorations on the lid of a guang vessel include elephants, rams or even beaks of birds. In addition, the vessel is normally decorated in low to mid-relief which may tend to show the bodies belonging to creatures, rendered on the lids. The lower sections of the guang vessel are usually divided into registers and quadrants by flanges. Other decorations that may appear on the surface of the vessel may be geometric backgrounds such as the squared-spiral shape. On the other hand, the hu vessel may have various decorative motifs (Museum). For instance, during the Shang dynasty, a hu vessel would be decorated with relatively simple taotie designs with patterns of dragons, thunder and cattle appearing on some of the Hu vessels. This style of the vessel changed especially in the Zhou Dynasty, as in this case, with the taotie design being replaced by heavy and rounded figures on a plain ground. In this Warring States Period and as evident from the image, the hu vessel became modified from the earlier versions thereby taking a more squared appearance. Such a square-shaped appearance of the vessel is mostly common in the fang hu (Museum).
It is likely that the hu vessel was used in holding wines as opposed to drinking. This is likely to have been the case especially in the Zhou period where Hu must have been one of the main vessels that were in use. It is our speculation that the same hu vessels were an important facet of the religious and cultural rituals. Additionally, it is our argument that the hu vessels were used as gifts to vassals that proved befitting of the gifts from the king as some inscriptions on the vessels may seem to indicate. It is indeed the case that bronze gifts of all kinds were normally given in various occasions and ceremonies such as funeral times, wedding gifts as well as travel tokens. The hu vessel must have been used for holding wine during religious rituals given the shape and form of the vessel. On the other hand, the guang bronze vessel in Early China were mainly used in housing wine and the serving of wine during ancient worship rituals (Watson). This was more the case that, in these ancient worship rituals, there was consumption of wine vapors by the departed or deceased spirits and the enjoyment of the actual physical contents of the vessels by the living. It is our speculation that the guang vessel was used for storage of wine and serving judging from the shape and form of the vessel. This is reflected in the typical support that is offered by one oval-shaped foot and in some events, anchored by four legs. Further, and as evident from the image of the guang vessel, each of the vessels has not only the head but also a neck that act as the pouring channel for the wine (Loehr).
We then seek to place the two types of vessels in their place in the history of the early China bronze art and examine the historical significance of the two kinds of vessels. Beginning with the guang vessel, we state that the guang vessel came late into the picture among other bronze vessels. Indeed, the earliest account of the guang vessel is during the Anyang period in the Shang Dynasty at around 1300-1046 BCE and was distinct from other vessels owing to their decoration. The final period within which guang vessels are known to have been made was in the Western Zhou Dynasty in the period 1045-771BCE. The decline of the making of these vessels could have been due to the Ritual Revolution which occurred later in the dynasty and which may have contributed to a decrease in the making of wine vessels. Some of the important guang examples include the Zhe Guang of the late 10th to the early 11th BCE and the Ri Ji Guang in the mid 9th and mid 10th BCE (Museum). The hu vessel was not existent before the Shang period. The hu vessels were made in the Shang period between 1600-1045 BC with the decoration on the vessels mainly consisting of the taotie motif and leiwen thunder pattern. Between the period 1045-771 BC popularly called the Western Zhou Period, the hu vessel underwent important changes with the larger of the vessels becoming more common. This was later followed by the Eastern Zjhou Period between the yewars770-256 BC. The historical significance of the hu vessel is that especially in the latter period, the vessel was used for ancestral sacrifices as well as secular and personal usage (Watson).
Subjectively, I opine that the two forms of art played a role in the history of early China as far as religious rituals were concerned. Particularly with regard to the hu vessel, I found the symbols on the vessel which consisted of dragons, animals and birds as attesting to the superstitious beliefs of the people at the time, and as protection against evil spirits. In the case of the guang vessel, I found it strange that the vessel was even placed with the deceased in the grave in the belief that the vessel was helpful to the deceased (Rawson). As a collector of art, I would collect the hu vessel, as opposed to the guang vessel owing to its historical significance and the fact that they have been resilient over time and are in production to modern day in China.
Works Cited
Delbanco, Dawn Ho. Art from Ritual. Ancient Chinese Bronze Vessels from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections. Washington, D.C: The Arthur M. Sackler Foundation., 1982.
Loehr, Max. Ritual Vessels of Bronze Age China. New York: Asia Society., 1965.
Museum, Asian Art. Bronze Vessels of Ancient China in the Avery Brundage Collection. San Francisco: Asian Art Museum., 1977.
Rawson, Jessica. "Two Chinese Bronze Ritual Vessels (British Museum)”." The Burlington Magazine, Vol. 114, No. 837 (1972): 870-873.
Watson, William. Ancient Chinese Vessels. Rutland, Vermont: Charles E. Tuttle & Company, 2008.
