How do you pronounce these common bronze wares, such as yan, fu, jia, yi, hu, lei, you?

Bronze ware is the witness and carrier of the origin of Chinese civilization

Carrying our imagination of ancient China

The names of its cultural relics also contain many rare characters.

It gives the spectators who stop by a headache.

To this end, we will take you to know

These bronze artifacts that look "complex" but are actually "simple"

Let’s learn about the profound Chinese history and culture together~

01

甗（yǎn）

The yan was a popular food steaming vessel during the Shang and Zhou dynasties. It consisted of two parts: the upper part was the 甑 (zèng), which was used to hold food; the lower part was the 鬲 (lì), which was used to hold water. Between the 甑 and 鬲 was a copper sheet called a 箄 (bì, 通箅), which had holes for steam.

The ancients used cauldrons for cooking for a long time, dating back to the late Neolithic period, more than 5,000 years ago. During the Shang and Zhou dynasties, cauldrons were very popular, and later they gradually evolved into different styles of cauldrons - some were integrated with the cauldron, some were separated, some were round, and some were square. Like most bronze wares, bronze cauldrons evolved from pottery cauldrons of the Stone Age. They were discovered in the early Shang Dynasty and were still in use after the Warring States Period.

Cultural Relics Case

Shang Dynasty bronze cauldron with animal faces and deer ears

Total height 105 cm, diameter 61.2 cm, deer ear height 30 cm

Image source: CCTV News/Jiangxi Provincial Museum

It is the largest existing bronze cauldron and is known as the "King of Chinese Cauldrons". On the top of the cauldron stand two lively deer, one male and one female, looking back at each other, and the surface of the vessel is also decorated with delicate animal face patterns.

Image source: CCTV News/Jiangxi Provincial Museum

In addition to its huge size, another unique feature of this cauldron is its four legs. Compared with the three legs commonly seen in ancient steamers, the four-leg design makes this pot more stable and less likely to tip over during cooking.

Image source: CCTV News/Jiangxi Provincial Museum

What’s even more rare is that in addition to the cute short-tailed deer, the entire steamer is cast in one go, reflecting the Shang Dynasty’s superb bronze casting technology.

02

Fǔ

The fu (簠) is a square container used in ancient China to hold millet, sorghum, sorghum, rice and other foods during sacrifices and banquets. The "Book of Zhou: Sheren" states: "In all sacrifices, fu (簠) and gui (guǐ) are used." (共: 供, gui: a round container used to hold food in ancient times)

The special thing about the fu is that its lid and container are basically the same size. When it is closed, it becomes a covered container, and when it is opened, they are two identical containers, both of which can hold food. The fu appeared in the early Western Zhou Dynasty, was mainly popular in the late Western Zhou Dynasty and early Spring and Autumn Period, and disappeared after the late Warring States Period.

Cultural Relics Case

The Warring States Period Chu King Fen Fu

Total height 12cm, length 31.9cm, weight 5kg

Image source: The Palace Museum

This vessel is rectangular, with a hollow square foot and a cloud pattern on the belly. There is a 12-character inscription on the mouth of the vessel: "King Qián of Chu casts a golden bowl for annual tasting. Xin." The inscription means that King Qián of Chu cast this golden bowl for annual tasting. "Xin" means using the Chinese zodiac to mark the order of objects.

03

jia (jiǎ)

Wine etiquette is also an important part of the ritual system of the Pre-Qin period. Various types of bronze wine vessels have unique shapes and functions, which complement the fine wine.

Jia is a kind of utensil with a long history. Pottery Jia appeared in different cultural areas of China as early as prehistoric times. During the Shang and Zhou dynasties, bronze Jia was used as a wine vessel, usually for warming wine.

Jia is the largest drinking vessel, now commonly known as a bronze vessel, which was given the name by the Song Dynasty and first appeared in the Bogu Tulu. Regarding the use of Jia, there is a saying that it is a wine warmer, but in terms of ritual system, according to the Book of Rites and Zuo Zhuan, Jia is mainly used for wine drinking in naked ceremonies.

Cultural Relics Case

Animal-faced jar

Early Shang Dynasty, height 25 cm, diameter 18 cm

Image source: The Palace Museum

The neck of this jar is wide and there are two pillars on the rim. The top of the pillars are decorated with fire patterns. The neck and belly are divided into sections. The lower end of the neck is decorated with animal face patterns. The belly is bulging in an arc shape, with a single arc-shaped handle, a flat bottom, and three triangular cone-shaped feet.

It has obvious characteristics of the early Shang Dynasty: the pillars are not very developed mushroom-shaped pillars, while the pillars of the jia in the middle and late Shang Dynasty are increasingly developed and prominent. The fire pattern (formerly known as the vortex pattern) decorated on the top of the pillar is a symbol of the sun. Its shape is circular, slightly protruding in the middle, and surrounded by rotating arcs. The early fire pattern mainly appeared on the bronze jia. The jia in the Erlitou culture period was decorated with fire patterns. In the early Shang Dynasty, fire patterns were commonly seen on the pillars and abdomen of the jia. In the late Shang Dynasty, fire patterns gradually shifted from jia to vessels such as ding and gui (guǐ).

04

Yi (yi)

Bronze water vessels are used for washing, with different functions such as pouring water and holding water. "Zuo Zhuan" mentioned "奉匜沃浣", "沃" means pouring water, "浣" means washing hands and face, indicating that "匜" was a utensil for pouring water when washing in ancient times.

When performing the ritual of washing hands, a Yi is often used in conjunction with a plate, which is used to collect the water after washing.

Cultural Relics Case

Uncle Shangyi

Height 16.8cm, width 28.6cm, weight 1.86kg

Image source: The Palace Museum

There is a trumpet-shaped long spout in front and a round ring handle in the back, which is convenient for pouring water and holding. There are four feet at the bottom and the abdomen is decorated with animal stripes. The upper part of the front two feet of the Yi is decorated with animal heads, and the upper part of the back two feet is in the shape of animal tails.

There is an inscription of 33 characters in 5 lines on the bottom of the Yi, which records that on the first auspicious day of December, Shu Shang, the Grand Secretary of the State of Zheng, made this Yi for his daughter Shu Yun as a dowry, hoping that she would live a long life and her descendants would treasure it forever.

Image source: The Palace Museum

Inscription: On the first day of the twelfth month of the 10th year, Zheng Da Nei Shi, my uncle made a concubine for my uncle, and it will last forever. My descendants will treasure it forever.

05

哿（bù）

The hu was popular from the Shang Dynasty to the Warring States Period. The body of the vessel is often decorated with patterns such as taotie, nipples, and thunder clouds. The two ears are often made into animal heads. They are mostly made of bronze or pottery, round, deep-bellied, and have a ring foot at the bottom. They are used to hold wine or water.

This type of utensil was quite common during the Shang and Zhou dynasties. It was not only used for practical purposes, but could also be used as a ceremonial item during sacrifices or banquets.

Cultural Relics Case

Red copper dragon-patterned urn

Total height 34.3cm, width 44.5cm, weight 10.72kg

Image source: The Palace Museum

The jar is round, with a small mouth and a large belly. There are two rings on the shoulder and a lid. There is a ring in the middle of the top of the lid. The lid, shoulder and lower belly are decorated with diamond patterns, and the belly is decorated with dragon patterns. The patterns are all inlaid with red copper.

06

罍（léi）

Bronze lei were important vessels used in ritual activities such as sacrifices during the Shang and Zhou dynasties. They could hold wine or water. There were two types of lei: square and round. The square lei was popular in the late Shang dynasty. Early lei were mostly square. After development, round lei appeared in the Zhou dynasty. The decoration changed from elaborate to simple and elegant.

Cultural Relics Case

Asian square jar

Height 53 cm, belly width 36.7 cm, belly depth 46.7 cm

Image source: Shanghai Museum

The late Shang Dynasty was the peak period of the development of bronze art in China. This jar is majestic, heavy, exquisite and magnificent. It is a typical "three-group full-flower vessel" and represents the highest level of bronze casting technology in its heyday.

Image source: Shanghai Museum

The whole vessel is decorated with extremely fine and beautiful cloud-thunder patterns as the background, and six layers of relief patterns are decorated from top to bottom. The rim, upper abdomen, and ring foot are decorated with phoenix patterns, and the shoulders are decorated with symmetrical dragon patterns. There is a large curly-horned frontal animal head in the middle, and animal face patterns are decorated in the middle and lower abdomen. The lower end is a claw. The animal horns and dragon tail protrude from the surface of the vessel. The protruding patterns are decorated with various yin lines, revealing a fierce and mysterious beauty.

07

You (yǒu)

Similar to the Lei, the You is also a wine vessel, popular in the Shang Dynasty and the Western Zhou Dynasty. The You has an oval mouth, a circular foot, a top cover and a handle, and is decorated with exquisite patterns. In the Shang Dynasty, You were mostly oval, but in the Western Zhou Dynasty, they were mainly round.

Cultural Relics Case

Phoenix pattern wine vessel with handle

Total height 23.5 cm, belly diameter 16 cm

Image source: Shanxi Museum

The lid and body of the vessel are fastened with a mother-and-child joint, and the lid and the inner bottom are cast with the four-character inscription "作宝尊沂". There are two animal heads on the handle, and the beam is decorated with four groups of deformed animal patterns, divided by square protrusions. The lid is oval, with a circular handle on the lid, decorated with two groups of facing phoenix patterns, and the edge of the lid is decorated with wavy patterns. The belly is drooping, the foot is ring-shaped, and the body is decorated with three groups of patterns, and the whole body is based on cloud and thunder patterns.

Finally, let’s play a little game together!

Guess what the following words read?

Gu, Gui, He

Source: Chongqing Jiulongpo District Cultural Relics Management Office

Audit expert: Li Xiaoying

Source: People's Daily Online, the Palace Museum, Shanxi Museum, Jiangxi Provincial Museum, Nanjing Museum, Henan Museum, Shanghai Museum, Longnan Museum

Image sources: Photo Network, CCTV News, Palace Museum, Jiangxi Provincial Museum, Shanghai Museum, Shanxi Museum

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