Early Chinese Art: Tombs of the Shang Dynasty

Chinese Arts in the Bronze Age:
Excavations of Chinese Tombs ca 1200-250 BCE
ArtH160: Introduction to Asian Art
Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Beijing
Yellow River
Xi'an
Shanghai
Yangtze River

"Ancestor Worship"

What happens after death

Shang Dynasty
ca. 1700-1050 BCE
Last capital at Anyang

Tombs of Shang Kings near Anyang
ca 1300-1050 BCE

Ding found near Anyang in 1939
H. 52.3"
L. 43"
Wt. 1836.5 lbs
The four-legged bronze cauldron Simuwu Ding,
discovered in 1939, is the world's biggest
bronze ware item ever excavated

Ding found near Royal Tombs in 1939
How does this vessel relate to Wu
Hung's article on "monumentality" in
Chinese art
Why would Wu say it is "monumental"
Although it is not one of the "Nine
Tripods," how does it embody their
qualities Is what crucial respects is it
different
Monumentality "denotes memory,
continuity, and political, ethical, or
religious obligations to a tradition" (Wu,
p. 204)
H. 52.3"
L. 43"
Wt. 1836.5 lbs

The taotie Motif on Shang Ritual Bronze Vessels

Piece-mold Casting

Tomb of Lady Fu Hao at Anyang
Died ca. 1200 BCE
Tomb discovered 1976

Tomb of Fu Hao at Anyang
Died ca. 1200 BCE
Tomb chamber ca. 26’ 3” deep
18’ long x 13’ wide

Contents of Fu Hao's Tomb
• 468 bronze objects including 130 weapons, 23 bells, 27 knives, 4
mirrors, and 4 tigers or tiger heads
• 755 jade objects
• 63 stone objects
• 5 ivory objects
• 564 bone objects including nearly 500 bone hairpins and over 20
bone arrowheads
• 11 pottery objects
• 6,900 pieces of cowry shell
• Skeletons of 6 dogs, 16 humans
From Visual Sourcebook for Chinese Civilization
(http://depts.washington.edu/chinaciv/archae/2tommain.htm)

Some Bronze Vessels from Fu Hao's Tomb
h. 31 ⅜"
wt. 258 ½ lb. h. 26 ¼"
wt. 42 lb.
h. 20 ¼"
wt. 37 lbs
h. 18 ⅛"
wt. 36 lb 12 oz

Bronze Covered Pouring Vessel (gong)
Late Shang (Anyang Phase), ca. 1100 BCE
composite animal form

Bronze pouring vessel (guang), tomb of Fu Hao, ca. 1200 BCE
(vs. Bull seal from Indus Valley, ca. 2000 BCE)
h. 14 ⅛”
w. 18 lb 11 oz h. 1 ½"

Jade Elephant from Fu Hao’s tomb
h. 1¼”
h. 1 ¼"
l. 2 ½"
wt. 2 ¾ oz

Jade and Ivory Carvings from Fu Hao's Tomb
h. 6 ½"
h. 4"
h. 2 1/8"
l. 3 ¼" h. 2 ¾"
h. 4 ⅞"

h. 6 ½"
h. ca. 6"
Indus Valley Civ,
ca. 1500 BCE
h. 4 ⅞"

l. 5½”
Axe blade, perhaps used in
ritual sacrifice, Tomb of Fu Hao
Late Shang (Anyang)
ca. 1200 BCE

h. 15 ½" w. 19 4/5 lb.
Axe-head from Fu Hao Tomb

Oracle Bones from Royal Cemetery at Anyang
Late Shang, ca. 1200-1050 BCE

Oracle Bones from Royal Cemetery at Anyang
Late Shang, ca. 1200-1050 BCE

China in the Zhou Dynasty
(c. 1050-480 BCE)
Confucius (ca. 551-479 BCE)
[Buddha ca. 563-483 BCE]

Shang vs. Western Zhou
Shang: ca. 1100 BCE
W. Zhou, ca. 10 th century BCE