Chinese bronzes
Chinese bronzes has a very important significance in Chinese culture and history,sets
of ritual bronzes are the most impressive surviving objects from the Chinese Bronze
Age. From around 1650 BCE they were deposited as grave goods in the tombs of
royalty and the nobility, and were evidently produced in very large numbers.Ritual
bronzes were probably not used for normal eating and drinking; they represent larger,
more elaborate versions of the types of vessels used for this, and made in precious
materials. Apart from table vessels, weapons and some other objects were made in
special ritual forms. Another class of ritual objects are those, also including weapons,
made in jade, which was probably the most highly valued of all, and which had been
long used for ritual tools and weapons.
Influence later generations of modeling Aesthetics
Xia Dynasty Shang Dynasty and Zhou Dynasty’s bronze was the heyday of bronzes in
Chinese history, type varied, vigorous dignified, inscriptions gradually lengthened,
patterns are complex and beautiful,therefore, its aesthetic characteristics and
connotations become an inexhaustible source of power and artistic creation, artistic
creations affect future generations,the impact is reflected in the following aspects:
The first is a powerful and compatibility.Because of the Xia Shang and Zhou regime
is kingship under the unified form,So its culture shows a variety,but diversity slowly
turned into a unified,It is also seen that authoritarian rule.The shape, decoration,
inscriptions of bronze style are reflected, has influenced generations of creatures
style.Specifically as follows:three-dimensional and flat are unified,abstract and image
are unified, form and content are unified.This way of creation can let people more
objective and dialectical understanding of external form and intrinsic meaning of
bronzes.Maximize the aesthetic value.
Second, the use of lines to express the beauty of form.The beauty of form by a
combination of life and nature in the form factor, the aesthetic characteristics of three
generations bronzes reflect the many factors of form beauty,the most of use is the line
characterization,in later artifacts are also often seen in the use of this characteristic,
reflected in the creation of objects, depending on the shape, shape or adopt tough
straight lines, or bars with rounded curves, or both, hardness and softness.About
patterns,use coarse or fine lines to depicts reality or unreality artistic effect and with
staggered lines constitute the colorful pattern,and giving the bronze have the sense of
beauty.It can be seen in the creation of art, these lines from the bronze makes people
feel the lines unique of the powerful artistic expression, in giving wonderful visual
enjoyment while they make people have a different psychological experience.
Therefore, these lines as an art form has affected China's creation aesthetics.
Third, the aesthetic sense of creation is from life, the aesthetic sense of three dynasties
of bronze has been closely linked with the political,religious,war and
society.Aesthetic sense of its modeling all from the prevailing social ideology, but it is
not entirely realistic, because it needs to reflect the ideals and aspirations of the
people's aspirations. This form of art in the creation of aesthetic highly regarded in
future generations, not only enhances the usefulness of artifacts, but also the people
passing out the love of life.
influence on social values
Xia Shang and Zhou’s bronzes of aesthetic spirit are also expression on ideologically,
with the development of Xia Shang and Zhou’s bronzes ideological awake, from
initial of simple aesthetic sense to the variety of aesthetic theory,the bronze’s aesthetic
connotation play in this process act as a catalyst, its impact should not be
underestimated.
In the Zhou Dynasty Confucian aesthetic ideology plays an important role in the
history of Chinese,on later aesthetic sense and aesthetic ideology had a profound
impact. The unity of heaven and man is an important category in chinese philosophy,
it is the highest ideal of Confucian aesthetic idea,whose idea is part of important
content of chinese traditional culture.Is run through a main line of Confucianism. This
proposition emphasizes unity of man and nature, should be harmonious and
goodwill,This kind of thinking is fit with consciousness implicit in bronze,bronze’s
creative inspiration comes from a lot of the actual object, the "animism" view of life
into the manufacture of artifacts,such as a lots of animal patterns with a variety of life
as symbol,composition of rhythm and line utilization, all reflect the importance of life,
this awareness is reflected in the goodwill harmony between man and nature.
Bronzes as carrier of social life, religious rituals, art and culture in Xia Shang Z'hou
Dynasty ， it play a significant role for the formation of Chinese traditional
aesthetics,On the one hand, as a separate individual aesthetic, it has shape, decoration,
inscriptions and other different aesthetic features. On the other hand, as the epitome of
aesthetic culture in Xia Shang Zhou, it also has the unique characteristics of the era
aesthetic connotations.Throughout the history of Chinese aesthetics, although the
aesthetic concepts and aesthetic ideas has its own different characteristics of the times,
but the essence of the XiaShang Zhou bronze’s aesthetic connotation has become the
genetic gene of Chinese aesthetic ideology from generation to generation.