Bronze treasures connect Shanxi Province and Georgia through cultural exchange
In late July, the Georgian National Museum welcomed an impressive new addition to its exhibitions, garnering great interest from residents in this Caucasian country.
As a part of the 2026 Civilization Bridge Program, an initiative launched by the National Cultural Heritage Administration for overseas exhibitions of Chinese cultural relics, a showcase of Shanxi's ancient bronze ware made its debut in this museum in Tbilisi on July 20.
Under the theme "From the Yellow River to the Caucasus — A Special Exhibition of Shanxi's Bronze Civilization in Georgia", the collection includes 36 pieces or sets of bronze ware, dating from around the 16th century BC to the 3rd century AD.
This exhibition is jointly organized by Shanxi Museum and the Georgian National Museum, supported by China's National Cultural Heritage Administration and sponsored by the Belt and Road Cultural Development Association. It will run until Oct 18.
On the opening day of the exhibition, Liang Yujun, deputy curator of Shanxi Museum, hosted a seminar to introduce the aesthetics, significance and characteristics of Shanxi's bronze ware to the local audience.
Liang said that, in ancient times, bronze was recognized as an auspicious metal and bronze ware was an important part of the ancient ritual system.
"Shanxi is one of the places where the largest numbers of ancient Chinese bronze items have been discovered," he said. "This exhibition of Shanxi's bronze relics will help visitors better understand ancient Chinese civilization."
According to Liang, the exhibition is divided into three sections focusing on artistic aesthetics, ritual system and production techniques.
The exhibits fall into such categories as ding — tripod cauldrons; gui — round-mouthed food vessels; ge — dagger axes; and daigou — robe hooks.
The displayed items mostly feature clear patterns, showing the high technical level in bronze ware production in ancient China.
Heavenly Craftsmanship
The first section of the exhibition is titled "Heavenly Craftsmanship", highlighting the technical marvels and aesthetics of Shanxi's ancient bronze ware.
Liang said that an outstanding feature of Shanxi's bronze ware is the perfect balance of functionality and aesthetics, even for those dating to the Xia (c. 21st century-16th century BC) and Shang (c.16th century-11th century BC) dynasties.
"The bronze items of the Xia and Shang dynasties, simple as they are, never lack symbolism," Liang said. "The typical patterns show the unique cultural connotation of those periods. For instance, the pattern of taotie — a legendary ferocious beast in Chinese mythology — was meant to arouse senses of awe and respect among the subjects of the empires."
In the periods that followed, especially in the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), patterns on the bronze items grew more complicated and exquisite, as the Shanxi exhibits show. The official said the rich forms of patterns — such as beasts, birds, clouds and waves — and the higher degree of abstraction were believed to have developed alongside the technological advancements of the period and tailored to different ritual scenarios.
He added that the bronze items in the later periods also display a deeper integration of functionality and aesthetics.
A square-based and round-mouthed bronze zun — or wine vessel — on display at the Tbilisi museum, for instance, illustrates this integration.
The vessel, featuring an abstract dragon pattern on its neck and wave pattern on its body, is supported by a square base.
"The square base was meant to make the vessel stable," said the Shanxi Museum official. "However, it also has a symbolism echoing the pattern motifs above."
"In ancient China, the square symbolized the Earth, just like the circle symbolized the sky or heaven," Liang said. "The dragon is the totem of the Chinese nation, symbolizing the majesty of sovereigns and having a presence on the Earth, in the sea and in heaven."
Liang further explained the symbolic meanings of various motifs, aiming to give audience members a better understanding of the cultural connotations of ancient Chinese bronze ware.
The beast-face pattern, for instance, is common on bronze items of the Shang and Zhou (c.11th century-256 BC) dynasties. It usually features protruding eyes and an exaggerated wide mouth. With a strong religious sense and awe-inspiring power, the pattern is regarded as a link among human beings, the world and heaven.
The coiling chi pattern — or interlaced hydra pattern — is mostly seen on bronze items from the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period (475-221 BC).
In Chinese mythology, chi is a hornless dragon featuring a dragon's head and snake's body. It symbolizes the continuation of life and lasting vitality.
The feather-and-wing pattern, which began to be used in the Shanxi region during the late Spring and Autumn Period, symbolizes the people's aspiration to ascend to heaven after death. It can also be interpreted as the soul's revival. "With a flying-and-flowing rhythm and the beautifully abstracted design, the pattern represents an extremely high level of Chinese bronze ware art," said Liang.
During the exhibition, locals also discovered the unique features of bronze items.
Elene Khurtsilava, a staff member at the Georgian National Museum, said the fu — a bronze container of grains — is her favorite exhibit.
She noticed that the item features a body and a cover of the same shape. "You can put it upside down, and it just looks the same," she said. "It can also be used as two separate utensils."
On her social media account, Khurtsilava said: "I strongly recommend this exhibition, which, I believe, will be an unforgettable and impressive journey to experience ancient Chinese culture."
Rites and Music
The second section of the exhibition, called "Rites and Music", is meant to reveal the relation between bronze ware and the ritual system that has existed in China for about 3,000 years, since the early Zhou Dynasty.
In the Zhou Dynasty, bronze ware served not only as daily utensils but also as ritual vessels. During the period, the country's hierarchical system was marked by the graded ownership of ritual vessels, especially the bronze vessels.
According to the system, the sovereigns of the Zhou Dynasty — who called themselves "the sons of heaven" — were "authorized by the heavenly sovereign" to own nine ding tripods, while dukes and princes could own seven, high-ranking officials could own five, and lower-ranking scholars could own three or one.
A similar system was also applied to the ownership of bronze food vessels known as gui, according to which, the sons of heaven could own eight, dukes and princes could own six and high-ranking officials could own four.
During the exhibition in Tbilisi, a bronze gui is highlighted.
When visiting the exhibition, Lili Davitashvili, a Georgian Sinologist, noticed that the vessel features ocular thunder and straight-line patterns.
She said she used to study in China. During her stay, she developed a strong interest in ancient bronze ware, especially the patterns on the items.
"The patterns, either animals or decorative motifs, are the important identifying features of the vessels," Davitashvili said. "The patterns on this bronze gui give me a sense of awe and stability."
"I'm glad to see so many ancient Chinese bronze items in my home country," she added.
In ancient China, rites had always been accompanied by music, giving typical musical instruments such as bianzhong — or bronze chime bells — a special place in the ritual system.
At the Georgian National Museum, a set of bianzhong was on display. It is composed of bronze bells of different sizes. An introduction to the items informs visitors that music can be played by striking the bells according to scores.
Production Techniques
The third section of the exhibition, called "Firing for Thousands of Years", is designed to show the millennia-long history of bronze ware production.
Historical records show that China began to produce bronze ware more than 4,000 years ago and Shanxi has been a hub of production since then.
Relics unearthed in Shanxi show that local bronze ware production techniques reached a height during the Shang and Zhou dynasties.
The level of production techniques was demonstrated by the discovery of a large amount of production equipment from those periods.
A bronze casting site, with relics dating to the Zhou Dynasty, is among the key bronze ware production sites in Shanxi. The large number of clay molds and crucibles shows that this site was capable of large-scale and standardized production of bronze vessels.
According to Liang, clay mold casting was the core technique for bronze ware production in ancient China.
"The molding set is usually composed of the inner and outer molds," he said. "Molten bronze was poured into the cavity between the two molds, and after it cooled, the molds were smashed to reveal a bronze vessel with clear patterns."
He noted that since this technique has strict requirements for temperature control, the mixing ratio of molten metals — bronze is an alloy of copper, tin and other metals — and mold precision, it represented an advanced level of production nationwide or even worldwide during that period.
At the Tbilisi exhibition, sets of clay molds and crucibles are on display.
Also on show are bronze items produced via the techniques of gold or silver inlay, jade inlay, and gold gilding. According to Liang, these techniques emerged in the Spring and Autumn Period, echoing the noble classes' pursuit of a higher level of aesthetics and better quality of life.
For instance, a dove-shaped bronze cane head produced using the gold inlay technique is on display in the Georgian National Museum. The head of the cane is a dove with glittering inlaid gold threads.
The exhibition in Tbilisi also features an interactive zone for visitors. There are instructors who teach children and adults how to make rubbings of patterns on bronze ware models and repair relics.
According to Liang, this is the first time that an interactive zone has been set up for an overseas exhibition of Shanxi's cultural relics.
Liu Yan contributed to this story.
(Source: China Daily)
Editor: Wang Shasha
