Questions from East and West·The Treasure of the Town Hall | Ji Kunzhang: Where did the Jin Hou Bird Statue interpret "Jin" come from three thousand years ago?

　　Editor's note:

　　The beauty of the national treasure, through ancient and modern times, is used to carry the Tao, and it is magnificent.

Behind each rare cultural relic is the ingenuity and wisdom of the ancients, engraved with the cultural genes of the Chinese nation, and witnessing the exchanges and mutual learning between Chinese and foreign civilizations.

Starting from February 20, 2023, China News Agency's "East and West Questions" launched a series of plans for "Treasures of Town Halls" (2), using experts to explore the meaning of cultural relics and the stories behind them.

　　China News Agency, Taiyuan, February 22. Question: Where did the Jin Hou bird statue interpret "Jin" come from three thousand years ago?

　　Author Ji Kunzhang Researcher of Shanxi Provincial Institute of Archeology

　　The cultural relics in Shanxi have a long-standing reputation, and among the unearthed cultural relics, the bronzes of the Shang and Zhou dynasties are particularly dazzling.

Among them, the biggest highlight is the treasure of the town hall of Shanxi Museum-Jinhou Bird Zun.

There are a total of 530,000 pieces (sets) of cultural relics in Shanxi Museum. Why did the Jinhou Bird Zun become the treasure of the town hall?

And how to explain where "Jin" comes from?

Video: [West Questions·The Treasure of the Town Hall] Ji Kunzhang: Jin Hou Bird Zun Witnesses the Earliest Bronze Inscription "Jin"

The appearance of the bird statue came from a "catastrophe"

　　In the mid-1980s, a large number of ancient tombs, ancient cultural sites, and ancient buildings were robbed and destroyed, and there were many robbed pits.

　　The cemetery of the Marquis of Jin did not escape the bad luck. Eight of the 19 tombs of the Marquis of Jin and his wife in nine groups were stolen, and more than 10 of the 18 accompanying tombs were stolen. Among them was the tomb No. 114 where the bird statue of the Marquis of Jin was located. .

　　Due to the explosives used by the excavators, the buried bronze vessels were severely damaged, and the bird statue was among them, which was blown to pieces, with the head and tail separated.

Panoramic view of the Tianma site in Qucun, Shanxi Province, the birthplace of Jinhou bird statue.

Photo courtesy of Shanxi Museum

　　In 2002, the Shanghai Museum organized an exhibition of bronzes unearthed from the cemetery of the Marquis of Jin.

As the bird statue with the most beautiful shape, the earliest age, and a relatively large size among the bronzes in the Jinhou cemetery, it is naturally selected among them, but it needs restoration.

During the repair, I encountered a problem, that is, the part of the bird's tail was missing, and this part determines the direction of the tail, whether it is curled inward or outward?

　　Everyone considered and compared repeatedly, starting from the shape of the bird statue, they believed that the bird statue is a composite body, its upper body is undoubtedly a big phoenix bird, and its tail is in the shape of an elephant's head, which is exactly the trunk of an elephant, and it still faces inward. Volume is more suitable.

　　Once the Jin Hou bird statue came out, it caused a sensation.

However, the curling direction of its tail has always been a problem. Based on the bird-shaped bronze wares unearthed in Shanxi during the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, such as the bird-shaped tail of the Western Zhou Dynasty from the Babo cemetery in Dahekou, Yicheng, it was suggested that it might be curled outward.

When the Jin Hou bird statue was unearthed in the cemetery.

Photo courtesy of Shanxi Museum

　　Perhaps it was God's good fortune, when the archaeologists were searching through a pile of bronze fragments, they accidentally discovered the missing tail of the bird statue.

Later, Shanxi Museum organized the renovation of the bird statue again.

The results proved that the idea and restoration plan of the tail bent inward were completely correct, the tail returned to its original position, and the bird statue was restored to its original state.

The bird statue was restored in the Shanghai Museum.

Photo courtesy of Shanxi Museum

The story hidden in the past life of the Bird Zun

　　Jin Hou Bird Zun is three thousand years ago, the exchange of civilizations between East and West in ancient Eurasia has just started, and Chinese civilization is entering the era of etiquette.

Looking carefully, it is in the shape of a phoenix bird as a whole, with a head looking back, a pointed beak, a tall crown, wide-open phoenix eyes, and eyes looking into the distance. Between the rolled-up wings is a full chest and strong legs. , the fan-shaped short tail is slightly tilted, the claws are tightly clasped to the ground, and the body is decorated with feather patterns and cloud patterns, with an outstanding demeanor in the world.

The tail of the Jinhou bird statue is curled inwards, resembling an elephant.

Photo by Wang Huilin

　　There is an inscription inside the cover of the Bird Zun: "Jinhou Zha Xiang Dashi Baozun Yi", which is the key to unlock the secret of the Bird Zun.

　　"Marquis of Jin" refers to the master who made the bird statue; "Erya · Shi Gong" said "the palace is called the room, and the room is called the palace", and it also said that "the room has east and west hatchbacks called temple", "big room" or "big room" "Taishi" is the Taimiao, referring to the ancestral temple of Jin.

　　"Bao" means precious and precious, and the key is the word "Zunyi".

"Zhou Li" mentioned that "Zunyi" is a bronze wine container, used to hold wine syrup, there are six statues and six Yis, and the six statues include Xian Zun, Xiang Zun, Zhu Zun, Pot Zun, Da Zun, and Mountain Zun; The Six Yi include Chicken Yi, Niao Yi, Jia Yi, Huang Yi, Tiger Yi and Sparrow Yi.

The inscription "Jinhou Zha Xiang Dashi Baozun Yi" on the bird statue of Jinhou is also the earliest bronze character "Jin" so far.

Photo by Wang Huilin

　　How to use Zunyi?

According to the records of "Zhou Li Chunguan", there are large sacrificial activities at fixed times in four seasons every year: Spring Temple, Xia Yu, Autumn Tasting, Winter Sacrifice, and small sacrificial activities such as Leisure Sacrifice, Chasing and Enjoying, and Going to Enjoy. .

Sprinkling wine on the ground and presenting it to the gods and ancestors is a nude ceremony.

Yi is used for naked rituals, Zun is used for court practice, re-offering, and presenting rituals.

Zun and Yi are used together but differently, Zun is higher than Yi, and the six Zun and six Yi are divided into high and low according to the sacrificial standards.

　　We have carefully examined the shape of the bird statue of the Marquis of Jin Dynasty. It belongs to the statue, and it is the "elephant statue" among the six statues, ranking second among the six statues.

　　What is "Elephant Zun"?

Refers to the pictograph of imaginary animals in the shape of birds or animals or complexes of birds and animals, with an opening on the back or an opening on the top, and a cover.

Jin Hou bird statue, with a phoenix bird as the overall shape, with a small bird standing on the back and an elephant head at the tail, integrating birds and beasts into one body, with a wonderful conception, it is exactly the shape of the elephant statue.

Part of Jinhou bird statue.

Photo by Wu Junjie

　　What is Jinhou bird statue used for?

　　It is 30.5 centimeters long, 17.5 centimeters wide and 39 centimeters high. It is used to hold wine pulp. Wine was an important gift for ancestors in Shang and Zhou dynasties.

The wine for sacrifices is mainly Li and Chan. Li is a sweet wine made by steaming rice, brewed overnight, and contains dregs and unfiltered turbid wine; Chan is wine made from black millet.

Liquor is served in Yi, Lijiu is served in Zun.

Jin Hou Bird Zun is a respected genus, and it should be used to hold wine.

　　"The great event of the country lies in the sacrificial and military affairs." The bird statue is a heavy vessel placed in the palace and ancestral temple of the Jin Dynasty. As the most important ritual vessel, it is used to hold the wine dedicated to the gods during the sacrifice.

People visit the exhibition "Let's Listen to the Song of the Phoenix—The Past and Present of Jin Hou Bird Zun".

Photo by Wu Junjie

　　Who made such an important sacrificial vessel for the ancestral temple?

Why can you tell where "Jin" comes from?

　　The bird statue comes from Tomb No. 114 in the cemetery of Marquis Jin of Zhao in the north of the Qucun-Tianma site. According to archaeologists, the owner of the tomb is Xiefu, the first Marquis of Jin.

Xie's father's father is Tang Shuyu, who is well-known in Shanxi. Shuyu was entrusted to the ancient Tang Kingdom located in the south of Jin. He was also promoted to Hou, and Xie's father was called Jinhou.

The "Marquis of Jin" in the inscription on the cover of the Niao Zun is what Xiefu called himself.

This "Jin" character is the earliest archaeologically unearthed "Jin" character in bronze so far, which has witnessed the history of Xiefu changing Tang to Jin.

　　Located between Quwo and Yicheng, Qucun-Tianma Site was the capital of the Jin Kingdom in the Western Zhou Dynasty.

There are cemeteries of Marquis of Jin, cemeteries of high-ranking nobles of the state of Jin, and cemeteries of civilians, especially the cemetery of Marquis Jin. Nine groups of 19 tombs of Marquis Jin and his wife were excavated, and a large number of bronzes and jades were unearthed.

These unearthed cultural relics further testify to the classics and supplement the history, and further confirm the order of the kings of the Jin Kingdom in the Western Zhou Dynasty. The excavation of the tomb of the Marquis of Jin is very important for the study of the early history of the Jin Kingdom.

　　For three thousand years, Jinhou Bird Zun has maintained the innate aristocratic temperament and elegance, quietly telling people about the past, regardless of how much aura future generations give it.

(over)

About the Author:

　　Ji Kunzhang, researcher at Shanxi Institute of Archeology, visiting researcher at Peking University Ancient Civilization Center, member of Chinese Archaeological Society, director of Jade Professional Committee of Chinese Society of Cultural Relics, vice president of Chinese Jade Culture Research Association, consultant of Shanxi Provincial Archaeological Society.

Presided over and participated in a number of major field archaeological excavations. Among them, the excavation of the Western Zhou Dynasty Cemetery in Hengshui County, Jiangxian County won the "Top Ten New Archaeological Discoveries" in 2004 and the first prize of Field Archeology in 2004 issued by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage. The excavation won the third prize of field archeology in 2006. He participated in the compilation of the large-scale archaeological excavation report "Qiaocun Cemetery", edited "The Complete Works of Jade Unearthed in China·Shanxi Volume" and authored "The General History of Chinese Jade Artifacts·Zhou Dynasty Volume", as a guest in 2021 Participated in the recording of CCTV's "Chinese Archeology Conference" "Exploring the Tomb of the Marquis of Jin - Looking for the Family of the Marquis of Jin in the Western Zhou Dynasty", and was invited to give lectures at Peking University, Tsinghua University, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Taiwan's "Academia Sinica" Institute of History and Philology, Stanford University, etc. and participation.