The rhinoceros is a rare wild animal that currently only lives in South Asia and Africa. But do you know that the rhino once roamed in China and went extinct in the wild because of over-hunting?
Rhinoceros-shaped Bronze Zun (Wine Vessel) 错金银云纹青铜犀尊
Bronze ware | Western Han Dynasty (202 BC-8 AD) | Dimensions – H: 34.1 cm, L: 58.1 cm | National Museum of China Collection, Unearthed at Xingping, Shaanxi Province, 1963. 青铜器｜西汉（公元前202年 公元8年）｜高34.1厘米，长58.1厘米｜中国国家博物馆藏，1963年陕西兴平出土
Zun 尊 is a wine vessel that is used in ceremony and ritual to hold that delicous liquid. Rhinoceros-shaped Bronze Zun 错金银云纹青铜犀尊 is made in the image of the Sumatran rhino. The rhino is decorated with cloud patterns inlaid with silver and gold 错金银云纹, and is a practical bronze ware. Nevertheless, it can be regarded as a masterpiece of bronze ware in the Han Dynasty.
In ancient China, rhinoceros can be found in southwest forests, particularly in Sichuan. Excavations of Neolithic ruins have uncovered many rhino bones, and Shang oracle scripts have recorded hunting expeditions of rhinos by burning the forests.1 During the tumultuous period following the Autumn and Spring period (c.771-c.481 BC), armours made from rhino skins were highly sought after. Due to mass hunting, the rhino went extinct in China (probably) by late Western Han period (202 BC-9 AD); there was historical records to indicate that in 9 AD Wang Mang 王莽 had bought a live rhino from Sri Lanka (known in Han dynasty as Kingdom of Huangzhi 黄支国) or India (Chittagong 已程不国) to show off.2
The rhinoceros stands with its head held high, with a fat body, short and thick legs, thick skin and wrinkled face, two sharp horns, and eyes inlaid with black beads. The belly is hollow and used to hold wine. There is an oval mouth with a levered cover on the rhino’s back for one to pour wine into. There is a round tubular spout 流 on the right side of the rhino’s mouth to serve the wine.
The body of the rhino is decorated with intricate and exquisite cloud patterns inlaid with silver and gold 错金银云纹.
While ancient China liked to make zuns in animal shapes, this trend started to fade after Han dynasty. The rhino zun is still only one found that reminded us of a period when the magnificent beast still roam the wilderness of China. While we can replicate the bronze zun, we cannot revive an extinct species (at least not now). Let’s do our part to give these creatures a chance in survival.
#WWF #Conservation #EndangeredSpecies #NationalMuseumofChina #中国国家博物馆
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.
《殷墟文字乙编》第2507片甲骨文卜辞拓片记载了商王“焚林而猎……获十五兕（雌性犀牛）”。商代“宰丰骨匕”刻辞记载，商王在狩猎活动中捕获一只犀牛，因宰丰有功便赏赐给他，并将此事记录在由犀牛骨做成的“匕”上。 ↩︎- 《汉书》卷28《地理志下》 中记录说：“自日南障塞、徐闻、合浦，船行可五月，有都元国； 又船行可四月，有邑卢没国；又船行可二十余日，有谌离国；步行可十余日，有夫甘都卢国；自夫甘都卢国， 船行可二月余，有黄支国，民俗与朱崖相类，其州广大，户口多，多异物。自武帝以来皆献见。有译长，属黄门，与应募者俱入海， 市明珠璧琉璃、奇石、异物，黄金什缯而往，所至国皆禀食为耦，蛮夷贾船， 转送致之， 亦利交易，剽杀人；又苦逢风波溺死不者数年未还。大珠之围二寸以下。平帝元始中， 王莽辅政，愈耀德威，厚遣黄支王，令遣使献生犀牛，自黄支船行八月到皮宗，船行可二月，到日南象林界云。黄支之南，有已程不国，汉之译使，自此还矣。” ↩︎
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