From the Spring and Autumn period (770-403 BC) to the Warring States period, a period collectively known as Eastern Zhou (c. 771–256 BC), the society entered a state of division, resulting in different cultural circles and various styles of bronzes. The popularity of techniques of decorating metal surface created the second peak of the Bronze Age in China.
Bronze Square Hu (Wine Vessel) with Intersecting Dragons 青铜交龙方壶
Bronze ware | Spring Autumn Period (770-403 BC), Jin State (c.11th century BC – 376 BC) | Dimensions – (Mouth) L: 24cm, W:19cm, H: ~90cm | National Museum of China Collection, Unearthed at Houma, Shanxi Province, 1956. 铜器｜春秋・晋（前11世纪－前376年）｜口长24厘米、宽19厘米，高约90厘米｜国家博物馆藏，1956年山西侯马市上马村13号墓出土
The hu 壺 was the main wine vessel of Spring Autumn Period (770-403 BC), which can be divided into square hu and round hu based on their shape. According to the “Book of Rites” 《禮記》, square hu are mostly used in important ceremonial occasions of the upper class. At present, among the tombs of the higher-grade aristocrats found in the Spring and Autumn Period, there are many pairs of square hu buried with them. This hu was found in the tomb of Jin State’s aristocrat 中行穆子 aka 荀吴, and its twin is currently on display at Shanxi Museum.
The four corners of the pot lid are carved dragon-shaped, and the elevated base is also carved dragon-shaped. The two handles are beast-shaped rings. There are also dragon-shaped flanged beasts in the four corners of the shoulder. The surface decoration is quite gorgeous. The body is cast in high relief on the sides with intertwined dragons with various heads and slender snake-like bodies. Such design was commonly seen in late Western Zhou to early Eastern Zhou period.
The purpose of this hu is most likely used for a shooting game called Touhu 投壺 (literally, casting into the jug).1 According to “Book of Rites”, it is desirable for a gentleman to excel in six arts, and archery is one of them. Touhu is a variation of the archery. The players took turns to cast an arrow from a distance into the mouth of the hu. Together with the hus, rounded arrowheads were excavated in the same tomb, indicating a possibility that these hus were not for storing wine but for leisure.2
“Song” Bronze Hu (Wine Vessel) “頌”青銅壺
These bronze hus are usually found in pair. Take this example called the “Song” hus “頌”青銅壺 from the Late Western Zhou (c 1046-771 BC) period, two of them were found in the same excavation, however one was without the cover. In China, it is common for one regional museum (which helped in the discovery) to display just one of them, while the other is “on loan” to the National Museum of China. In this case, the complete one “went” to Taipei with the retreating Nationalist government.
Being a Western Zhou (c. 1046-771 BC) vessel, which means that it usually will contain some historical inscriptions, the Hu belonging to a nobleman named “Song” 頌 describes the ritual of official appoint during the period. The content of the inscription records the details of the bureaucrat’s appointment ceremony; firstly, it describes the time, place and procedures of the ceremony and the guidance of officials; next, it describes the work appointment of the King of Zhou to Song and the reward of the official carriage and clothing. These inscriptions confirm and supplement the historical facts of the late Western Zhou Dynasty as documented in history books like “Rites of Zhou”《周禮》and《左傳》.
Inscriptions of the Song Hu 識文紀事3
The cover and inside of the wine vessel contain the same inscriptions (152 words written in Jin script) talking about the ritual of Song’s appointment to the courts of King of Zhou.
| 【識文位置】蓋（外） | 【識文位置】口（內） |
| 【全文】隹三年五月既死霸甲戌／王在周康卲宮旦王各大／室即立宰引右頌入門立／中廷尹氏受王命書王乎／史虢生冊命頌王曰頌令／汝官司（司）成周貯廿家監司（司）／新舟告（造）貯用宮御易汝玄衣／黹屯赤巿朱黃（鑾）旂攸（攸金）勒（革）／用事頌拜旨頁首受命冊佩／以出反入堇（覲）章（璋）頌敢對揚／天子丕顯魯休用作朕皇／考龍廾叔皇母龍廾姒寶尊鼎／用追孝方單斤（祈）（丐）康又虎屯（純）右（祐）通／彔（祿）永令頌其萬年眉壽／田允臣天子霝（靈）冬（終）子子孫孫寶用 | 【全文】隹三年五月既死霸甲戌／王在周康卲宮旦王各大／室即立宰引右頌入門立／中廷尹氏受王命書王乎／史虢生冊命頌王曰頌令／汝官司（司）成周貯廿家監司（司）／新舟告（造）貯用宮御易汝玄衣／黹屯赤巿朱黃（鑾）旂攸（攸金）勒（革）／用事頌拜旨頁首受命冊佩／以出反入堇（覲）章（璋）頌敢對揚／天子丕顯魯休用作朕皇／考龍廾叔皇母龍廾姒寶尊鼎／用追孝方單斤（祈）（丐）康又虎屯（純）右（祐）通／彔（祿）永令頌其萬年眉壽／田允臣天子霝（靈）冬（終）子子孫孫寶用 |
King Wen of Nanyue’s Bronze Square Hu with Triangular Patterns 西汉南越文王 蓖纹铜方壶
It is not sure if this square hu, like the one before, was for ceremonial purpose or practical use. But it has much more complicated engravings on the body that seemed to be older than the period that the Nanyue King lived in. It could be a precious antique that Zhao Mo 趙眜 (172-124 BC) owned, and thus buried together with him.
Bronze wares were not only used in sacrificial and ceremonial activities, but also appeared on the banquets of the aristocracy. There were strict regulations on the types and quantities of bronze wares owned by aristocrats of different classes, thus forming the ritual and music system that influenced ancient Chinese society. The bronze wares represented a concentrated expression of national consciousness and reflected a criterion and norm for maintaining social order.
About Chinese National Treasure Series
中華國寶系列 Chinese National Treasure series feature specific artefacts and relics from museums all around the world that are historically significant to be considered a National Treasure. The series covers the 5,000 years of Chinese civilisation from Neolithic periods before the Xia dynasty (c. 2070-1600 BC) to modern day.
Footnotes:
- 古代的 “礼、乐、射、御、书、数”六艺，是贵族男子必须掌握的技能，“射”就是射箭，是个人孔武有力的最好表达项目。彼时的诸侯举办宴会时，经常会邀请客人参加射箭，碍于射箭受到场地的限制，且具有危险性，逐渐演化为以箭投壶。
《礼记正义》卷五十八《投壶》载：“投壶，射之细也。”可见，这项活动是由周代六礼中的射礼演变而来。《礼记·王制》载：“司徒修六礼以节民性，明七教以兴民德……”设立“司徒”官职用于修习六礼以节制人民的性情，明辨七教以提高人民的道德。到北宋时期，司马光还在《投壶新格》里说：“夫投壶闹事，游戏之类，而圣人取之以为礼，用诸乡党，用诸邦国。”可见，投壶是一项用于表达人们内心修养、讲究礼节的活动。
为此，《礼记》还专设《投壶》一章，记述宾客宴饮之间讲论才艺的投壶礼节、方法和规则，“投壶之礼，主人奉矢，司射奉中，使人执壶。”意思是将一只壶口大张、长颈的铜壶放在厅堂之上，参加比赛的人各自握铜制箭矢数枚，跪在与铜壶有一定距离的地方，用手将箭矢投掷入壶，每人可连投数次，入壶多者为优胜；一人充当司射，相当于今时的裁判。
一场投壶礼，共分八个步骤：1、请宾投壶：主人邀请宾客投壶。2、送矢就筵：主人以礼送矢并引导宾客赴投壶之筵。3、度壶并筭：摆放壶、筭等器具。4、宣布规则。5、投壶。6、数筭立马：一局结束，司射为宾主双方数筭。7、行觞：罚酒环节，由胜方为负方斟酒。8、庆礼：三局结束后，为胜方庆贺。至此，投壶结束。
《左传·昭公十二年》即公元前530年晋昭公设宴招待齐景公举行的一次投壶比赛，是这项活动最早的古籍记载。原文如下：
晋侯以齐侯宴，中行穆子相。投壶，晋侯先。穆子曰：“有酒如淮，有肉如坻。寡君中此，为诸侯师。”中之。齐侯举矢，曰：“有酒如渑，有肉如陵。寡人中此，与君代兴。”亦中之。伯瑕谓穆子曰：“子失辞。吾固师诸侯矣，壶何为焉，其以中俊也？齐君弱吾君，归弗来矣！”穆子曰：“吾军帅强御，卒乘竞劝，今犹古也，齐将何事？”公孙叟趋进曰：“日旰君勤，可以出矣！”以齐侯出。
晋昭公要举行宴会招待齐景公，由中行穆子来主持。席间要投壶，晋昭公首发，穆子说：“有酒像淮河，有肉像高丘，晋公投中统帅诸侯。”果然投中。齐景公举起箭矢，说道：“有酒如渑水，有肉像山陵，我投中了来代替你。”也投中了。晋国另一位大夫伯瑕很不高兴，对穆子说：“你怎么这样说呢？我们本来就是诸侯的统帅，小小的壶有什么了不起的？不就是一个投壶活动嘛。齐君认为我们国君软弱，回去以后不会再来了。”穆子说：“我们军队统帅坚强有力，士兵们个个斗志昂扬，就这样一如既往下去，齐国又能做些什么？” 齐国大夫公孙叟快步走到他们面前说：“天晚了，国君也累了，散吧！”陪同齐景公走出去了。
这条记载说明，晋国自从晋平公在公元前534年修筑春秋时期数一数二的大型宫殿“虒祁宫”后，晋国霸业充满危机，诸侯也不听话了，甚至如齐景公一般对霸主地位跃跃欲试，由此拉开了六卿争霸、三家分晋的序幕。而投壶作为诸侯宴饮的正式礼节早已出现，最晚在春秋晚期投壶已经成型，结合中行穆子本人，对于认识两千多年前的投壶极具意义。
中行穆子，就是荀偃之子荀吴，时为晋国卿大夫，他征伐兼并晋国周边及山区的戎狄，灭掉太行山以东白狄及洛阳之南的陆浑戎，捍卫了晋国的霸业。晋文化考古学者田建文先生最新考证，侯马晋国遗址中的上马墓地13号墓就是中行穆子的墓。
吉娜娜（侯马晋国古都博物馆），原载于《山西日报》2022年3月25日12版， 原题《晋国投壶考》 ↩︎ - 二是上马墓地13号墓中还出土了约50支铜镞（图三），一类约40支，双翼，有脊，箭头还带有血槽,长6厘米；二类约6支，三翼，长铤，镞身断面作三角形，长7.1厘米；三类4支，体小，圆头，长铤，长2.6厘米。一、二两类铜镞都极为锋利,当用于实战。三类从形制上察看，根本不具备战时需求，极有可能是用作投壶的“铜箭矢”了。
▲图三 上马13号墓出土的三类铜箭矢
吉娜娜（侯马晋国古都博物馆），原载于《山西日报》2022年3月25日12版， 原题《晋国投壶考》 ↩︎ - 〈頌壺〉，國立故宮博物院藏。圖版取自《器物典藏資料檢索系統》：https://digitalarchive.npm.gov.tw/Antique/Content?uid=1458&Dept=U(檢索日期:2024年9月27日)。 ↩︎
0 comments on “Treasures – Bronze Square Hu with Intersecting Dragons (Spring Autumn – Jin)”