A Study on Zhou Period Bronze Xu Zhang Maorong Keywords: bronze xu food vessel typology combination Among Shang and Zhou bronzes, the xu-vessel does (Fig. 1:6). Style 2 has longer legs, as seen in Ge Cong Xu not appear to have captured much attention. The reason 从 (Fig. 1:7). Style 3 has a unique form of legs, only is that it flourished for only a short time, that is to say, the seen in Jin Hou Dui Xu yi 晋侯对 乙 (Fig. 1:8). middle and late Western Zhou and the early Springs and Type II. This type has attached loops. By the forms Autumns periods. Generally cast under the category of of ring feet, they can be divided into four subtypes. gui-vessels 簋 since the Song Dynasty, it was identified Subtype IIA is characteristic of attached loops and ring only in the recent centuries. Given a careful study, the foot, as seen in the Bo Xian Xu 伯鲜 (Fig. 2:2). bronze xu does not occur in a small number: it exceeds Subtype IIB has attached loops but it has perforation on dou-stemmed plates 豆 and fu-vessels , and approaches ring foot. By the form of ring feet, vessels of this subtype yan-steamers and li-tripods 鬲. It started to become display two styles. Style 1 features rectangular popular in the middle and late Western Zhou, and played perforations, as seen in the Bo Mi Fu Xu 伯 父 (Fig. an important role in the developmental history of bronze 2:1). Style 2 features leaf-form perforations, as seen in vessels. Due to the overall neglect of bronze xu in the the Mi Shu Xu 弭叔 discovered in 1959 in the Sipo 寺 past, I think it is necessary to undertake a comprehensive, 坡 Village in Lantian蓝田 County, Shaanxi陕西. Sub- systematic analysis, to consider its relationship with type IIC features four legs under the ring foot. By the vessels gui, ding-tripod 鼎, fu-vessel, dui-vessel 敦, and differences in the size of the legs, they are divided into to evaluate its proper role and function in the Zhou food two styles. Style 1, as in the Zhong Tai Shi Zi Xu 仲太 vessels. 师子 , has elliptical perforations, and short legs (Fig. 2: 3). Style 2, as in the Liu Sheng Xu 生 , has square I perforations and short legs (Fig. 2:6). Subtype IID has I have collected 150 samples of bronze xu altogether. By four legs but without ring foot. By the forms of the legs, the forms of their suspension loops, they occur in two they can be divided into two styles. Style 1 has legs in the types. form of human figure, only seen in the Jin Hou Dui Xu Type I. This type has semicircular ring loops. By the jia 晋侯对 甲 (Fig. 2:4). Style 2 has long legs, as in the differences in their ring feet, samples of this type occur Shao Bo Hu Xu 召伯虎 (Fig. 2:5) and Ze Sheng in three subtypes. Subtype IA has semicircular loop and Xu (Fig. 2:7). ring foot; a representative piece is the Ying Hou Cheng Based on the typology of the bronze xu and their Xu 应侯 (Fig. 1:1). Samples of subtype IB are interrelation, we can differentiate six periods of the Zhou semicircular loops and perforated ring feet. By the differ- bronze xu. ences in the form of perforation, they display two styles. Period I. In this period occurred only the subtype IA Style 1 has rectangular perforation, as seen in the Bo Che (Ying Hou Cheng Xu). It can be dated to the early middle Fu Xu 伯车父 (Fig. 1:2). Style 2 has leaf-like Western Zhou, or the reigns of King Mu 穆 and King perforation, as seen in Bo Tai Shi Xu 伯太师 , Ke Xu Gong 共. This subtype resembles bronze gui, and dis- 克 , and Liang Qi Xu 梁其 (Figs. 1:3–5). Subtype IC plays an early form. has semicircular loop and ring foot but equipped with Period II. To this period belong style 1 of subtype IB four legs. By the length of legs and morphological and style 1 of subtype IC. It can be dated to the late differences, they display three styles. Style 1 has short middle Western Zhou, or the reigns of King Yi 懿 and legs under the ring foot, only seen in the Xing Xu King Xiao 孝. In both number and form xu of this period 154 Chinese Archaeology 2 3 1 5 6 4 7 8 Fig. 1 Type I bronze xu-vessel 1. Ying Hou Cheng Xu (subtype IA, from burial M84 in cemetery of Ying State at Pingdingshan, Henan) 2. Bo Che Fu Xu (subtype IB style 1, from burial M3 at Hejia Village, Qishan County, Shaanxi) 3. Bo Tai Shi Xu (subtype IB style 2) 4. Ke Xu (subtype IB style 2) 5. Liang Qi Xu (subtype IB style 2) 6. Xing Xu (subtype IC style 1, from hoard No. 1 at Zhuangbai Village, Fufeng County, Shaanxi) 7. Ge Cong Xu (subtype IC style 2) 8. Jin Hou Dui Xu yi (subtype IC style 3, from burial M2 in cemetery of Jin Hou at Beizhao, Shanxi) 3 2 1 5 4 6 7 Fig. 2 Type II bronze xu-vessel 1. Bo Mi Fu Xu ( subtype IIB style 1, from hoard of West Zhou at Fengchu Village, Fufeng County, Shaanxi) 2. Bo Xian Xu ( subtype IIA) 3. Zhong Tai Shi Zi Xu ( subtype IIC style 1, from hoard No. 2 at Zhuangbai Village, Fufeng County, Shaanxi) 4. Jin Hou Dui Xu jia (subtype IID style 1, from burial M1 in cemetery of Jin Hou at Beizhao, Shanxi) 5. Shao Bo Hu Xu (subtype IID style 2, from burial C5M906 at east suburb of Luoyang, Henan) 6. Liu Sheng Xu (subtype IIC style 2) 7. Ze Sheng Xu (from Jiacun Village, Baoji County, Shaanxi) Volume 4 155 sees an increase, and gradually differ from bronze gui. 庶父作 簋 (Bo Shu Fu created xu gui),” which point to Period III. It is dated to the early late Western Zhou, the intimate link between them. the reigns of King Yi 夷 and King Li 厉. In this period 4. In combination, the tomb M84 of the Ying 应 bronze xu reached its prime time; it saw almost all the State cemetery at Pingdingshan 平顶山 yields two bronze forms of xu and the largest number of xu. This was the ding and one bronze xu, but not bronze gui. Obviously xu period of rapid development of this vessel. was employed to substitute gui in the combination with Period IV. It is dated to the late late Western Zhou, ding. In addition, xu and gui almost never concur in the reigns of King Xuan 宣 and King You 幽. Like burials, which further indicates that xu was identical to period III, this period saw a large number of this vessel, gui in function. which indicates that xu continued to grow in Western Granted that bronze xu bears so many similarities to Zhou. But it saw less variety of bronze xu, which indi- bronze gui, what reason prompted the production of cates that forms of xu had been consolidated. bronze xu in addition to bronze gui? As said earlier, Ying Period V. It is dated to the early Springs and Au- Hou Cheng Xu is the earliest known piece to date, and its tumns period. Compared with those of period IV, xu owner was a member of the royal house of Western Zhou decreased significantly in form and number, and showed Dynasty. They indicate that bronze xu was an element of much lower craftsmanship, which signifies the decline the Ji-Zhou Culture. The Shang State elaborated wine of bronze xu. vessels, and they invented jiao that resembles jue, zun Period VI. Only style 1 of subtype IB occurred in this that resembles gu, pou, and lei in addition to gu, jue, and period, which equates late Springs and Autumns period. jia, whereas the Zhou State elaborated on food vessels, Xu became rare in number and simplified in form, which and it created morphologically similar xu in addition to indicates that it had come to its end. gui. Despite that the similarities between bronze xu and II bronze gui, one should not ignore the difference. In the Some scholars hypothesize that the xu-vessel was de- beginning xu was named as gui, but it was limited in rived from ding, but sufficient evidence indicates a close number. This may indicate its intimate relationship with link of this vessel with gui, in another words, derivative gui, but virtually it differentiated from gui and became a of gui. completely new type of food vessel. Morphologically 1. Morphologically, the Ying Hou Cheng Xu, the speaking, the early xu resembles gui, but in the late earliest known bronze xu to date, resembles the type of period it differed significantly from the latter; the ring gui with ring loop, spherical body and ring foot. Subtype foot and the lid handle are strikingly different from gui. IB, the mainstream form, was derived from subtype IA Especially those of subtypes IIB, IIC, and IID have and retains many similarities to gui. Subtype IC, another completely removed from the form of gui. Some xu like frequent form, apparently imitated the“ foot plus three Ze Sheng Xu look much like ding, but little like gui. In legs” type popular in its time. distribution, bronze gui was widespread to the entire 2. Ornamentally, the major motif that the Ying Hou territory of Zhou, whereas bronze xu was only popular in Cheng Xu, the earliest piece, bears a bird with bifurcated limited regions, in Qizhou 岐周, Fenghao 丰镐, and tails.