Chinese Religious Power!

The Eastern Zhou period in China's ancient history saw great and rapid social changes.  Creative experiments with materials opened up broad opportunities for decorative, representational art.  Consequently, there are unique examaples of human figurines made out of jade and wood in addition to bronze. Expanding commerce and interaction between separate ethnic groups contributed to changes in ritual bronze vessels.  By 600 BC, iron became the material used to create weapons and agricultural tools.  Precious metals such as gold and silver were used as inlays, but sometimes for making vessels too.  However, the material bronze remained the superior metal of prestige!

Why was bronze so interesting to China?  Bronze ritual vessels played an important role in the idea of political legitimacy for the ruling dynasty.  The bronze ritual sculptures came to be understood as "spiritual objects" that brought heavenly blessings.  It was thought that metaphysical power was contained in these stately vessels.  So the Chinese bronze ritual vessel was something very special, and very powerful!

Harlan Urwiler

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