Basic on the outside, extraordinary on the inside — Shanxi Bronze Museum

Coiled Snake Patterned Drum Stand (Figures 1-3) The Warring States period bronze masterpiece "Coiled Snake Patterned Drum Stand" features exquisite and magnificent decorations. It is the largest bronze drum stand unearthed in China in terms of size and weight. The piece is sturdy and robust, with a diameter of 77 cm, a height of 47 cm, and a weight of 80 kg. A long wooden pole runs through the drum body and inserts into the center of the drum stand, which is formed by three coiled snakes, lifelike and vivid. The drum stand is richly decorated with various figures including humans, snakes, oxen, sheep, monkeys, and divine birds, with the "divine bird" carving being particularly unique. This drum stand is finely cast and well preserved, making it the largest bronze drum stand in China today, with immense historical, scientific, and artistic value. Bird Zun (Figure 4) Period: Spring and Autumn Shaped like a majestic raptor standing tall. It has a crown and double horns on its head, with both eyes open: a sharp beak with a fixed lower lip and a freely movable upper lip, ingeniously designed. The neck is slender and long, with a hollow abdomen connected to the neck and mouth. The black back has a lid with a tiger-shaped handle, connected by a chain. The bird’s legs stand straight with webbed feet, and beneath the tail is a tiger-shaped support leg. The tiger’s head is raised, mouth open showing teeth, front paws on the ground, and hind paws against the bird’s body, forming a three-point support to keep the vessel balanced and stable. The entire body is decorated with raised feathers, with elegant and clear feather patterns full of layers. The unique and innovative shape and exquisite casting technique make it a masterpiece of late Jin bronze craftsmanship. Yue Man Guarding the Enclosure Chariot (Figure 5) Period: Spring and Autumn This Yue Man Guarding the Enclosure chariot is a finely crafted bronze six-wheeled box-type chariot. Research suggests it may have been a small plaything for nobles or a container for storing small ornaments. After more than two thousand years of history, the chariot’s box lid can still be opened, and when the lid opens and closes, four intricately carved small birds mounted on fixed axles on the roof rotate freely under gravity. The chariot has up to 15 movable parts. On such a small object, craftsmen decorated over 20 animal figures including monkeys, tigers, and birds, using various techniques such as incised carving, shallow relief, high relief, round carving, and openwork carving. The small wheels are embraced in the belly of two playful crouching tigers. Jin Gong Pan (Figures 6-8) Period: Spring and Autumn The Jin Gong Pan is a bronze ritual vessel specially made by Duke Wen of Jin, one of the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn period, for his daughter’s marriage to the Chu state. The pan has a diameter of 40 cm and weighs over 7,000 grams, with a shallow belly and flat bottom. The center of the inner bottom is decorated with a pair of exquisite relief dragons coiled into a circle; between the dragons is a three-dimensional water bird; outside the dragons are four three-dimensional water birds and four relief golden turtles; further out are three round-carved jumping frogs and three swimming fish; the outermost ring features four crouching frogs, seven relief swimming frogs, and four round-carved crawling turtles. Notably, these round-carved animals can rotate 360 degrees, the birds’ beaks can open and close, and the turtles’ heads can extend and retract. Seven inscriptions, each with three lines totaling 183 characters, were found on the inner wall of the Jin Gong Pan. These inscriptions clearly depict the prosperous scene of the Jin state during Duke Wen’s reign, conveying extremely precious historical information from the early to mid-Spring and Autumn period, which is rare among bronze vessels.