Liang Ji jar

Liangji jar, bronze ware, late Western Zhou Dynasty, total height 11.8 cm, diameter 8.1 cm, belly diameter 9.4 cm, belly depth 6.2 cm, weight 0.75 kg, unearthed from the tomb of Lady Guo Ji in M2012 of Shangcunling Guo State Cemetery in Sanmenxia, ​​Henan Province in 1991, and collected by Sanmenxia Guo State Museum in Henan Province.

This small bronze jar was discovered in 1991. It was unearthed from the tomb numbered 2012 during the rescue excavation of Shangcunling Guo State Cemetery in Sanmenxia by the Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology and the Sanmenxia Archaeological Team (now known as the Sanmenxia Archaeological Institute). 394 bronze ware and 806 jade ware were unearthed from the tomb, including 26 practical bronze ritual vessels, including 5 tripods, 4 gui, 8 li, 2 square pots, 2 small jars, 1 plate, 1 yi, and 1 square yan. No musical instruments were found. Compared with the bronze ritual vessel combination of seven tripods and six gui in the tomb of Guo Ji in M2001, the combination of five tripods and four gui is in line with the system of "the lady's ritual is downgraded by one level". In addition, M2012 is also buried with a large chariot and horse pit, and has a heavy coffin and a single outer coffin, so the excavators believe that this tomb is the tomb of the wife of Guo Ji in M2001.

The Liang Ji jar was unearthed between the inner and outer coffins of the tomb. The lid of the jar is convex, with a human head-shaped flat button on the top, a spherical body, a narrow mouth, a deep belly, and a ring foot. There are two square animal heads on the mouth and lid edge, corresponding to each other; the button is decorated with a human head pattern on the side of the hair, the lid is decorated with a curved body double dragon and double animal pattern, the belly is decorated with a human dragon entwined body pattern, all with fine cloud and thunder pattern as the background, and the ring foot is decorated with a double ring pattern without beads. There are two lines of 5 characters in reverse writing cast inside the lid, and the vertical style from right to left is: (Liang) Ji Zha (made). (Figure 1) Liangji Jar is the only bronze ware with inscription unearthed from the tomb of Lady Guo Ji in M2012. The excavators identified the tomb owner as Liangji based on the inscription of the ware. However, some scholars later believed that the tomb owner should not be Liangji based on the habit of addressing women in bronze inscriptions. This issue is worth discussing.

Figure 1 Inscription of Liangji Jar

The theme of the jar, dragon pattern, is the most widely used decorative theme on ancient Chinese bronze ware. The dragon pattern on the lid of Liangji Jar is a simplified coiled dragon pattern (Figure 2), with a prominent dragon head and a slender and curled body. The entangled dragon pattern decorated on the abdomen of the jar is also a simplified coiled dragon pattern and a human pattern intertwined (Figures 3 and 4).

Figure 2 Sketch of Liangji Jar from above

Figure 3 Line drawing of Liangji Jar from the side

Figure 4 Human dragon entangled pattern on the abdomen of Liangji Jar

In short, the Liangji Jar has a round shape, gorgeous patterns, fine workmanship, and cast inscriptions. It is a precious bronze masterpiece.