China News Service, Guanghan, Sichuan, April 8 (Reporter Yue Yitong) On the bronze tree base, the three main trunks twisted upward to "grow", and the bronze branches above them "stretch" to the side.
Looking up again, the three statues of human heads and bird bodies "sit firmly" on the top of the tree, with their tails stretched out and their tails high... On the 8th, the Sanxingdui Museum officially announced the preliminary restoration results of the No. 3 bronze sacred tree unearthed at the Sanxingdui site. , The bronze sacred tree with a height of about 1.1 meters conveys the "magic code" of the ancient Shu people. After thousands of years of history, although it is still incomplete, it is still beautiful to make people "aphasia".
Unearthed in 1986 in the sacrificial pit No. 2 of the Sanxingdui site, the restored No. 1 bronze sacred tree with a height of 396 cm is one of the treasures of the town hall of the Sanxingdui Museum.
Few people know that in addition to the No. 1 bronze sacred tree, several bronze sacred trees were unearthed in the sacrificial pit, and the No. 3 bronze sacred tree is one of them.
The picture shows the No. 3 bronze sacred tree in Sanxingdui.
Photo by An Yuan
According to Yu Jian, Director of the Sanxingdui Museum's Exhibition and Storage Department, in 2019, after the approval of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, cultural preservation workers started the restoration of the No. 3 bronze sacred tree.
After one year after another, the splicing of the entire body of the No. 3 bronze sacred tree has been basically completed.
Although the bronze sacred tree No. 3 has not been fully restored, some archaeological experts who participated in the excavation of the sacrificial pits 1 and 2 believe that the sacred tree portrays the "Hibiscus tree" inhabited by the sun in ancient mythology.
"Shan Hai Jing·Overseas Eastern Jing" once recorded that "there are hibiscus in the valley, bathing for ten days, and living in the water. On the 9th day, it lives on the lower branch, and one day on the upper branch." According to historical records, Dongfang Shuo, a Han Dynasty writer, wrote in the "Hai Nei Shi Zhou Ji" The Chinese describes the shape of the hibiscus tree as follows: "The trees grow on the same root in pairs, and they are more dependent on each other, so they are called hibiscus."
"From the restoration of more than 70 pieces to the present level, the overall situation is relatively smooth, because the repair clues are relatively clear." Yu Jian told reporters that the No. 3 bronze sacred tree and the No. 1 bronze sacred tree are completely different. Its branches are twist-shaped, and the main trunk is about 1 cm in diameter. Therefore, it is relatively easy to find parts of similar shape and size among the large number of unearthed bronze fragments.
"In the end, if there is any incomplete part, the traditional method should be used to complete the repair by copper patching."
The picture shows the No. 3 bronze sacred tree in Sanxingdui.
Photo by An Yuan
According to reports, when the ancient Shu people cast the No. 3 bronze sacred tree, they were made of sub-components and then cast into a whole with copper liquid, and they were very particular about the principle of symmetry.
"The three main tree trunks on the first floor, the double branches on the second floor, and the top bird statue on the top are all on the same plane, providing a reference for the restoration work." Yu Jian said.
Although the restoration clues are clearer, there are still some puzzles that need to be further studied on the bronze sacred tree No. 3: there is a wrapped gold leaf left on the trunk, what is the scope of the wrapping?
The remaining hooks under the branches show that there were decorations on them. Are these hanging decorations related to the small gold leaf ornaments and copper bells unearthed from the sacrificial pits of Sanxingdui No. 1 and 2?
Yu Jian introduced the restoration of Sanxingdui No. 3 bronze sacred tree.
Photo by An Yuan
In response to the above issues, Yu Jian responded that the restoration of cultural relics must be based on sufficient scientific evidence. The restoration of the No. 3 bronze sacred tree has been temporarily suspended, and the excavation of the 6 newly discovered sacrificial pits at the Sanxingdui site needs further work. In order to find more relevant information, the restoration work can be carried out more scientifically.
"The shape of the bronze sacred tree No. 3 embodies the ancient Shu people's worship of the sun and their knowledge of the three realms of heaven, earth and man. Our greatest wish is to repair the sacred tree as soon as possible so that it can meet with the public as soon as possible." (End)