A people that disappeared suddenly in the 3rd century, but the bronzes that they left behind continue to intrigue us with the dioramas and stories.
National Treasure 国宝
Bronze Cowrie Container with Sacrificial Ceremony Diorama 诅盟场面青铜贮贝器
Bronze ware | Western Han Dynasty (202 BC-8 AD) | Dimensions – H: 53cm, (Cover) D: 32cm, (Base) D: 29.7cm | National Museum of China Collection, Unearthed at Shizhaishan, Jinning, Yunnan Province, 1955-1960. 青铜器｜西汉（公元前202年一公元8年）｜通高53厘米，盖径32厘米，底径29.7厘米｜中国国家博物馆藏，1955-1960年云南晋宁石寨山出土
Bronze Cowrie Container with Sacrificial Ceremony Diorama 诅盟场面青铜贮贝器 is an exquisite piece of art from the Dian people of Yunnan. The body of this “piggy bank” is tapered in the middle to show off its slender waist, with symmetrical tiger-shaped handles on both sides and three animal claw feet at the bottom.
When it was unearthed, the bronze container was full of cowrie shells from the warm water areas of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. Cowrie shells were used as an early form of money in this region of China. But scholars doubt that they were used a form of currency as the copper coins were already minted by then. There are no other evidence that they are used as a currency.
The cover is bronze cast with an elaborate diorama of a human sacrifice ceremony by the King of Dian to honour an alliance (probably with another tribe). Sacrifice and alliance ceremony 诅盟 is a common event that ancient Southwesten people perform to mark important milestones. An altar is set up with sacrifices (including human sacrifice) and offerings. This is a rarity because of the existence of a building of worship with a permanent altar 立柱祭社.
The scene includes a stilted longhouse surrounded by 16 drums and 127 various characters (not counting the broken ones). There is a priest (or king) sitting in the house where people are coming to seek blessings. There are two bronze drums with the main sacrifice altar in between surrounded by participants. There are scenes of cattle and animal slaughter, people beating hand drums, women holding baskets of offering, and naked men waiting to be executed.
The Dian Kingdom 滇國
Dian 滇1 (277-109 BC) was an ancient kingdom established by the indigenous Dian people 滇族2, a metalworking civilisation that inhabited around the Dian Lake plateau of central northern Yunnan, China from the late Spring and Autumn period until the Eastern Han dynasty (c. 3rd century BC – 3rd century AD). The kingdom was annexed into Western Han dynasty in 109 BC and part of Yizhou commandery 益州.
Bronze Cowrie Container with Paying Tributes Diorama 贡纳场面青铜贮贝器
Bronze Cowrie Container with Seven Oxen and Tiger Handles 七牛虎耳青铜贮贝器
Originally there was another bronze drum attached to this base, but it has deteriorated beyond repair when excavated. It shows a circle of tribute payers from seven different tribes. On the base sits a circle of oxen.
The cover of this cowrie container has seven oxen3, six of them walking around a prominent one in the middle. The container has a waistband and two tiger-shaped handles.
Bronze Pillow 青铜枕
Bronze ware | Western Han Dynasty (202 BC-8 AD) | National Museum of China Collection, Unearthed at Lijiashan, Jiangchuan, Yunnan Province, 1972. 青铜器｜西汉（公元前202年一公元8年）｜中国国家博物馆藏，1972年云南江川李家山出土
Animal husbandry in Dian Kingdom is relatively developed. At that time, livestock and poultry mainly included cattle, horses, sheep, pigs, dogs and chickens, ducks and other breeds, among which cattle had the largest number.
Gilded Bronze Buckle Ornament 鎏金四人舞俑青铜扣饰
Gilt bronze ware | Western Han Dynasty (202 BC-8 AD) | National Museum of China Collection, Unearthed at Shizhaishan, Jinning, Yunnan Province, 1955-1960. 青铜器、鎏金｜西汉（公元前202年一公元8年）｜中国国家博物馆藏，1955-1960年云南晋宁石寨山出土
The Dian has a developed bronze culture of its own. Among its wide-ranging bronze products include the cowrie shell containers, ornaments with animal designs, tools, farming implements and weapons. The techniques of its gilding, inlaying and linear carving has reached a very high level.
For more information about the cowrie container bronze wares, do watch this excellent video about another example.
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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.
- 据《史记》《汉书》记载，滇 (diān) 是“椎结、耕田、有邑聚”的部落，滇池周围土地肥美，“有盐池田渔之饶，金银畜产之富”，“人俗豪忲，居官者富及累世”，反映在葬俗上便是统治阶级的厚葬风气。“元封二年（公元前109年）天子发巴蜀兵，击灭劳浸、靡莫，以兵临滇，滇王始首善，以故弗诛……于是以为益州郡，赐滇王王印，复长其民。” ↩︎
- 据研究，在这些族中，可以明显区分出“稚髻”的滇人和“编发”的昆明人，同为“椎髻”的滇人，其梳髻位置和服饰又大不相同。尤其值得注意的是，背物牵牛这组人物均深目高鼻，穿长裤。据《华阳国志，南中志》记载，滇西地区还有“身毒之民”和“標越人”侨居，表明古代云南地区居民成分是相当复杂的。 ↩︎
- 器盖上铸七牛，其中六牛环绕于器盖边缘，一牛仁立于青铜鼓上，耸然独出于众牛之上。这些牛全部为黄牛，主要包括两种类型。一种体型较大，前额宽广，大耳，角长且上翘，頭项上有突起的肉峰，四肢粗大，颈下垂肌发达，长尾。另一种体型较小，前额突起，两角弯曲下垂，颈项上有突起的高肉峰，闷尾。此类黄牛数量较少。此贮贝器器盖上的黄牛当属前者，其造型健壮威武，闪烁着夺目的艺术光辉。 ↩︎
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