Research On The Post-casting Process Of Shang And Zhou Bronzes

Previous studies into bronzes focus mostly on shapes and ornamentations,compared with which,researches on casting technology are relatively less systematic though they also have been done often while post-processing of casting itself and the relationship between it and shape as well as ornamentation obtains even lesser attention.Therefore,from the perspective of technology,development course of post-processing techniques is investigated and summarized,its technical conditions and motivations of transformation coupled with its effects on casting,shape and ornamentation are discussed,which are significantly meaningful to the study on technical system and correlativity of Shang and Zhou Dynasty as well as in this paper.The post-casting technique can be divided into two categories: post-casting in room temperature and heated post-casting.Post-casting in room temperature includes polish and superficial decoration;heated post casting technique is mostly related to hammering,which plays a dominant role in the bronze vessels' development phrases.Before the Late West Zhou Dynasty,coppersmiths still mainly rely on the casting process to create different shapes and ornaments due to the lack of post-casting instruments.While dealing with superficial decoration,techniques like the jade-inlay,the copper-inlay and the gold-and-silver-inlay are widely used.The technique Jade-inlay,of which the material is usually turquoise,starts to appear during the period of Erlitou,and becomes rare during the Shang Dynasty and the West Zhou Dynasty;however,this technique is advanced in the Early Warring State Period.The Copper-inlay first appears in the middle of the Spring and Autumn Period,which becomes popular during the Late Spring and Autumn Period and the Early Warring State Period.The initial time of the appearance of the gold-and-silver-inlay is in the Late Spring and Autumn Period,which becomes prevalent in the Middle and the Late Warring State Period.It is more normally to apply gilding to jewellery in small size.Objects excavated have been dated to the Yin Ruin Period.This technique is not lost during the West Zhou Period,but only becomes favoured in the Warring State Period.Gilt,applying more to small objects,appears during the Warring State Period.Tin plating is dated as early as the Shang Dynasty.This technique has also been detected in the West Zhou and the Warring State Period,which is used on weapons and bronze mirrors.Lacquering is invented during the Late Shang Dynasty and is advanced during Warring State Period.Hammering,which is usually adopted on thin-wall vessels cooperating with engraving,appears in the Late Spring and Autumn Period and prevails during the Warring State Period.Since the Late Spring and Autumn Period,iron-made tools have been manipulated to produce bronze wares.As a result,the shape alternation and ornaments are generally finished after casting.The combination of casting and complex post-casting techniques promotes the position of the bronze during the Warring State Period.In the meantime,the smelting of other metals has been achieved while the etiquette collapsed,which also encourages the development of post-casting techniques.