Other Bronze in National Palace Museum, part1

Welcome to the National Palace Museum's collection of other bronze artifacts from ancient China! Here, you can explore some of the most incredible pieces of history. We have a variety of different items on display here, including a Square Zun wine vessel of Ya-chou, Yue battle ax with animal mask pattern and turquoise inlay, Zun wine vessel of Ya-qin to Yi the father, Hu vessel with Hunting Scenes Inlaid in Copper-like Paste, Square gui food container with Ya Chou emblem, P'eng-tsu-ting Ting, Mirror of Shang-fang with TLV pattern, Mirror with Lion and Grapevine Decorations, Chia Measure and Gilt Beast-footed Tsun with Mountain Design. These are all amazing artifacts that tell us about the culture and society of ancient China. Come take a look at these incredible pieces today!

1. Square Zun wine vessel of Ya-chou

The "Yachou" vessels that have been excavated from Suputun in Itu, Shandong, suggest that the "Poku" clan mentioned in the ancient "Zozhuan" text was based in that area.

2. Yue battle ax with animal mask pattern and turquoise inlay

The "yue" axe is a weapon that was used during the late Shang to early Zhou dynasties. This type of axe was a symbol of the high status of the owner.

3. Zun wine vessel of Ya-qin to Yi the father

The Ya-qin crest is found on both the bronze zun vessel and the bronze seal. The zun vessel is decorated with animal mask patterns, dragon-head and phoenix-body patterns, and thin grid patterns.

4. Hu vessel with Hunting Scenes Inlaid in Copper-like Paste

This vessel has shallow relief designs of birds with snakes in their mouths and winged spirit figures on the neck and shoulders. The belly is decorated with figures and animals, and the area below is filled with hooked-cloud and geometric patterns.

5. Square gui food container with Ya Chou emblem

This gui food container has a square body and wide mouth. The neck and longer sides of the ring foot are decorated with kui phoenix patterns, while the belly is adorned with animal mask patterns. The shorter sides of the ring foot are decorated with bird patterns.

6. P'eng-tsu-ting Ting

This is the heaviest and largest object in the National Palace Museum collection. It measures 85.5 centimeters in height, 94.65 kilograms in weight, and has a rim diameter of 59.4 cm.

7. Mirror of Shang-fang with TLV pattern

This mirror has a round knob in the center, and is decorated with geometric patterns, protrusions, the Four Spirits, and immortal figures.

8. Mirror with Lion and Grapevine Decorations

The mirrors made in the Tang dynasty were very well-crafted, and often featured designs with a foreign influence. This mirror with lions and grape vines is a great example of such a work.

9. Chia Measure

The Chia liang measures were created by Wang Mang when he took over the throne from the Han dynasty and established the Xin dynasty. The Chia liang measures are a combination of five different measures.

10. Gilt Beast-footed Tsun with Mountain Design