Rites and Music: Ritual Objects From Shang Dynasty
The first instances of bronze inscriptions appeared in early Shang. These simple texts marked the clan crests or names of the persons who commissioned the works and/or their ancestors being paid homage to, providing a most definite way to identify a given bronze vessel.
The existence of various vessels associated with identical clan names reveal not only the solemnity of ancestor worship as an important rite, but the unusual trust and endowments given by the court to these prominent families. The examples include the bronzes that belonged to the Ya-chou clan, and the bronze zun vessel and seal from the Ya-qin clan, both of late Shang dynasty; the Cauldron of Xian-hou and Cauldron of Chi-yu, commissioned by the Tian-min family, early Western Zhou; the wine vessels hu of Zhou-shang and you of Zhou-hu from the mid-period of the dynasty. These vessels were commissioned by the overjoyed recipients of the honors to celebrate their glorious achievements, to offer to the ancestors, and at the same time to pass down to the future descendants.
Worship formed a dialogue between the deceased and the living through time, while Warfare dictated the battles of life and death in space.
Prior to carrying out as battle instruments the spatial struggles with enemies, the bronze shields, daggers, axes, and the like partook as ritual objects in the pre-battle ceremonies to hold temporal conversations with ancestors for their blessing of victory.
The casting of weaponry was indispensable in staging the first and foremost affairs of a state.
These fine, sophisticated bronze weapons signify the exalted rank and elevated status of their noble owners; the inscriptions serve as scripts retelling acts and scenes from ancient historical dramas of Worship and Warfare.
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Ge dagger with bird pattern
- Late Shang Dynasty
- c. 13th to 11th century B.C.E.
- h. 32 cm
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Yue battle ax with animal mask pattern and turquoise inlay
- Late Shang Dynasty
- c. 13th to 11th century B.C.E.
- h. 20 cm
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