Ancient Chinese Bronzes From the Shouyang Studio: the Katherine and George Fan Collection December 3, 2010

For the ruling elite of ancient China, prestigious objects of bronze signified supreme political power, devout spiritual beliefs, and exalted social status. Foremost among these bronzes are vessels that were used for the ritual preparation and offering of food and drink to deceased ancestors. Beginning in about 1200 B.C., many of these bronzes were cast with pictographic images or insignia and sometimes with archaic forms of Chinese written characters. Whether naming an honoree, recounting a military campaign, or declaring an imperial edict, such inscriptions preserve firsthand, if highly formulaic, records of their time. Inscribed bronzes also present us with some of the earliest evidence for China's most prized cultural possession--its written language.