China News Agency, Yinchuan, December 31st, title: "National Treasure" Gilt Bronze Bull How does it witness ethnic exchanges?
——Interview with Yu Guangjian, associate professor of the Institute of Chinese Nation Community of Ningxia University
China News Agency reporter Li Peishan
China is a unified multi-ethnic country, and each nation contributes to the inheritance and innovation of Chinese civilization, and Xixia, which is located on the Silk Road, is no exception.
It can be seen from the "Treasure of the Town Hall" of the Ningxia Museum unearthed from the Xixia Mausoleum and the gilded copper bull of the national first-class cultural relic that Xixia has continuously carried out technological innovations on the basis of extensively learning the advanced smelting and casting technology of the Central Plains. Write a glorious page in the history of art.
As the largest surviving Xixia metal casting handicraft in the world, what are the characteristics of the gilt copper bull?
What is the position in the field of Xixia metalware casting?
Yu Guangjian, an associate professor at the Research Institute of the Chinese Nation Community of Ningxia University, recently accepted an exclusive interview with China News Agency's "East and West" to give an interpretation.
The interview transcript is summarized as follows.
Reporter from China News Service: The Xixia Gilded Bronze Bull collected by the Ningxia Museum is a national first-class cultural relic, and it is also the "treasure of the town hall" of the Ningxia Museum. How was it discovered?
Yu Guangjian: The
gilt bronze bull was unearthed in a tomb accompanying the Xixia Mausoleum.
It is rumored in the society that the gilt bronze bull is a "national treasure that was kicked out". Whether this is the case has not been verified.
Undoubtedly, it was unearthed with the active investigation and scientific excavation of the Xixia Mausoleum by the cultural relics and archaeology department.
National first-class cultural relics gilt copper bull.
Photo provided by the Institute of Chinese Nation Community, Ningxia University
In the early 1970s, the cultural relics and archeology department conducted an investigation on the imperial tombs and accompanying tombs in the Xixia Mausoleum Area, and determined that there were 9 imperial tombs and more than 270 accompanying tombs in the mausoleum area.
But the owner of the tomb remains a mystery.
For this reason, the Ningxia Museum carried out the first archaeological excavation of the No. 8 Tomb (now No. 6 Tomb) with well-preserved ground sites.
After more than two years of excavation and entering the underground palace, it was discovered that it was a tomb that had been looted and emptied.
In 1977, the archaeological team chose to excavate the No. 101 accompanying tomb, which was large in scale and had no obvious robbery holes.
However, it took 8 months, and what I saw was still a tomb that had been robbed long ago.
Even so, the archaeological team still cleaned up the silt in the tunnel.
A pair of gold-plated copper bull horns were found in the silt on the east wall of the corridor 0.4 meters above the ground.
Then, a 1.2-meter-long, 188-kilogram gold-plated copper bull finally appeared.
This bronze bull has been covered in dust for thousands of years, but its eyes are still piercing, as if it is telling the past.
Unearthed Gilt Bronze Bull.
Photo provided by the Institute of Chinese Nation Community, Ningxia University
According to the inscription information on the inscription unearthed from the tombstone pavilion, the owner of this tomb was a prominent nobleman in charge of military power during the Renzong period of the Western Xia Dynasty.
The four remains in the tomb were identified as one man and three women.
Eight 120-centimeter-long and 5-centimeter-thick pine coffin boards remained inside.
These discoveries can confirm that the tomb is a polygamous burial tomb with burial.
Since the 1970s, archaeologists have successively discovered many small cremated brick-chambered tombs from the Xixia period in Wuwei, Gansu, and Yinchuan, Ningxia, confirming that the cremation and then burial were popular among Xixia people.
The burial tombs in which husbands and wives were buried in the same cave found in this archaeological discovery obviously borrowed from the burial customs of the Han people in the Central Plains, reflecting that the funeral customs of Xixia have also quietly changed during the exchanges with various ethnic groups in the surrounding areas.
The burial tomb No. 101 of the Xixia Mausoleum where the gilded bronze bull was unearthed.
Photo provided by the Institute of Chinese Nation Community, Ningxia University
China News Agency reporter: What are the characteristics of gilt copper bulls? What is the position in the field of Xixia metalware casting?
Yu Guangjian:
No matter from the perspective of historical value, artistic value or scientific value, the gold-plated copper bull is a well-deserved "treasure of the town hall".
This gilt hollow copper bull is made using the traditional Chinese casting technique of outer mold and inner mold.
Its surface is decorated with gilt, which is why it still emits golden light after thousands of years.
The shape of the gilt copper bull is vivid and lifelike, the neck muscles and the spine under the skin are clearly visible and lifelike.
The overall use of sculpture, casting, gilding, welding, polishing and other processes.
No matter from the perspective of casting technology or artistic aesthetics, Xixia had mastered superb metal smelting and casting technology at that time, which also provided a strong physical support for the study of the history of ancient Chinese science and technology.
China News Agency reporter: Compared with the metal objects unearthed in the Central Plains in the same period, what are the similarities between the gold-plated copper bull and it? What is the significance of this to the understanding of the history of ancient Chinese science and technology and ancient metal casting technology?
Yu Guangjian:
According to literature records, the Xixia smelting industry has a certain scale and a relatively high level.
For example, the iron helmets and swords produced in Xixia enjoyed a high reputation at that time.
Xixia's ability to produce such an excellent large-scale gilded copper bull is largely related to the close economic and cultural exchanges in the Song Dynasty.
Xixia not only learned from the metal smelting and casting technology of the Song Dynasty, but also introduced professional and technical personnel from the Song Dynasty.
"Yuan Hao has long been treacherous, and he wants to recruit heroes, so he does not raise a few people to cast himself on him. Yuan Hao may be appointed as a general, or appointed as a minister, relying on him as the mastermind." According to "Continued Zizhi Tongjian Changbian" "Records, as early as Li Yuanhao's period, Xixia launched a "talent war" in the Song and Xia border areas, widely recruiting intellectuals who failed the imperial examinations in the Song Dynasty.
A notice was also posted to attract professional and technical personnel in the Song Dynasty with favorable conditions of treatment, many of whom were skilled craftsmen who were familiar with smelting and casting technology.
They brought the advanced cultural knowledge and science and technology of the Central Plains to Xixia, and promoted the development of Xixia metal smelting and casting from previous learning and imitation to technological innovation, even ahead of the Song Dynasty in some respects.
In Cave 3 of Yulin Grottoes in Guazhou County, Jiuquan City, Gansu Province, there is a picture of Xixia wrought iron. In the picture, the blowing equipment of the forging iron furnace is a vertical double bellows, which can realize continuous blowing to increase the temperature of the furnace. , Improve the quality of smelting.
Joseph Needham, a historian of science, once commented that this type of bellows was first seen in the murals of the Yulin Grottoes in the Western Xia Dynasty in the 10th or 11th century.
China adopts the technology of double-wooden bellows blasting metal smelting, more than 600 years earlier than Europe.
According to the records in the "Wu Jing Zong Yao" of the Northern Song Dynasty, there are also similar wooden fans in the Central Plains.
This shows that the Central Plains and Xixia had close economic and cultural exchanges at that time, and both sides had mastered a relatively high level of forging technology.
Wrought iron map of Xixia in Cave 3, Yulin, Guazhou.
Photo courtesy of the Institute of Chinese Nation Community, Ningxia University
In addition to the gold-plated copper bull, the famous "Xia Guojian" can embody the superb metal smelting and forging technology of Xixia.
At that time, "Xia Guojian" was ranked first in the world along with Khitan saddle and Goryeo's secret color in the Song Dynasty.
"Xia Guojian" once became a fashion item worn by the emperors and officials of the Song Dynasty.
During the excavation of Xixia Mausoleum No. 6 Mausoleum Palace, archaeologists also unearthed an iron sword, which also provided strong physical evidence for the study of Xixia military and metal smelting and forging technology.
Blind archaeological box of cultural and creative products of gilt bronze bull.
Photo courtesy of the Institute of Chinese Nation Community, Ningxia University
China News Agency reporter: Since ancient times, cattle and horses have been indispensable livestock in ancient Chinese agricultural society. In the Xixia Mausoleum, a stone horse was discovered at the same time as the gilded bronze bull. What does this mean?
Yu Guangjian:
The Dangxiang clan who established Xixia mainly engaged in nomadic farming before moving inland.
After the inland migration, with the increasingly close contacts with the Central Plains, Xixia social production and lifestyle have undergone major changes, from a nomadic economy to farming and animal husbandry.
The basis of this change is that Xixia is located in the interlaced area of agriculture and animal husbandry in the northwest. This area suitable for farming and animal husbandry provides convenient conditions for the development of agriculture and animal husbandry in Xixia.
Xixia has a well-developed animal husbandry industry. Horses, cattle, sheep, and camels are the four major livestock in Xixia. The famous "Dangxiang horse" in history is also known as the symbol of Xixia's foreign trade and cultural exchanges.
According to Xixia's "Shengli Yihai", the yaks produced in Helan Mountain and Yanzhi Mountain in the Hexi Corridor are also famous and high-quality products in the surrounding area.
The phenomenon of burial of bronze bulls and stone horses also appeared in many of the Xixia Mausoleums that have been excavated, but the size and craftsmanship are not as good as those of gilded bronze bulls.
This not only reflects the status of agriculture and animal husbandry in Xixia society, but also reflects the wealth concept of Xixia people.
This can also be seen from the explanation of livestock in the Xixia dictionary "Wen Hai".
In "Wen Hai", the interpretation of domestic animals is "the source of happiness and wealth", and the "Tiansheng Law" of the Western Xia Code refers to personal and family property as "animals", and it also clearly stipulates that it is strictly forbidden to kill large livestock such as cattle and horses without permission. To be buried with him.
In addition, the funerary objects with images of cattle, horses, dogs, chickens, and pigs placed in the tombs may also be influenced by the feng shui ideology of funerals in the Tang and Song dynasties.
In the tomb archaeology of Tang, Song, Yuan and other dynasties, many customs of burying gods and spirits with jade horses, iron oxen, iron pigs, golden roosters, and jade dogs have also been found.
It is clearly recorded in the "Secret Burial Sutra of the Yuanling Mausoleum of the Great Han Dynasty", "One golden rooster, one in Anyou, one jade dog, one in Anshu, one jade horse, one in Anwu, one golden ox, and one in Anchou".
This phenomenon also exists in the Xixia tomb in Wuwei, Gansu, but it is buried in the form of wood panel paintings.
China News Agency reporter: Since its unearthed, the gilt copper bull has gone abroad many times and participated in exhibitions in Japan, Italy and other countries. What kind of legend has this national treasure that once "crossed the ocean" witnessed?
Yu Guangjian: The
gilt copper bull has participated in exhibitions abroad on behalf of China for many times, which fully demonstrates that the superb bronze casting technology reflected by the gilt copper bull is rare in the world, regardless of production technology or plastic arts.
The gilt copper bull is the historical witness of Xixia's transition from nomadic tribal society to farming economy and society, and is also a symbol of the long and splendid Yellow River culture and Chinese civilization. It can be called "the national treasure among national treasures".
A gilt-bronze cow cultural and creative product bookmark.
Photo provided by the Institute of Chinese Nation Community, Ningxia University
In recent years, we have established the Silk Road Ningxia Cultural and Creative Center to dig deep into the unique cultural and tourism resources such as "Silk Road Ningxia", "Silk Road Xixia" and "Silk Road Yellow River", and use the Chinese symbols contained in cultural heritage to create and share Chinese symbols. , to carry out research and development of cultural and creative design.
At present, more than 300 cultural and creative products in 20 series, including gilded copper bulls, have been developed. Through cultural and creative activities, historical and cultural heritage can be "lived" and meet more audiences in another form.
(use up)
Respondent profile:
Yu Guangjian, Ph.D., is an associate professor at the Research Institute of the Chinese Nation Community of Ningxia University, a master tutor, and the person in charge of the master's degree program in cultural relics and museum industry.
He is currently the deputy secretary of the School of Marxism at Ningxia University, and the director of the Silk Road Ningxia Cultural and Creative Center of Ningxia University.
Presided over the completion of 1 National Social Science Fund project, 1 autonomous region postgraduate education reform project, the Ministry of Education's philosophy and social science major commissioned project sub-project "Research on Xixia Funeral Customs from Multiple Perspectives", and the National Social Science Fund major project sub-project "Xixia Cultural Relics", Presided over 1 research project of the National Social Science Fund, published more than 60 academic papers in journals such as "Tang History Essays", "Huaxia Archeology", "Dunhuang Research", and published "Mysterious Helong Xixia Culture" and "Tiansheng Laws" 3 books on Pawn Lending and Loan Gate Sorting, Wuwei Western Xia Wooden Painting Tomb, and one of the editors-in-chief of the academic collection "Research on Building the Consciousness of the Chinese Nation Community" sponsored by the Research Institute of the Chinese Nation Community of Ningxia University.