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Sichuan Museum - Ancient Sichuan - Gallery One

The ancient bronzes of Sichuan, particularly those unearthed at the Sanxingdui archaeological site, represent one of the most enigmatic and artistically sophisticated chapters of early Chinese civilization.

Discovered in the late 1920s and extensively excavated since the 1980s, Sanxingdui is believed to be the cultural heart of the ancient Shu Kingdom, dating back 3,000 to 4,500 years. The site has yielded thousands of artifacts, including towering bronze statues, sacred trees, masks with exaggerated features, and ritual vessels. These bronzes defy conventional Chinese artistic norms of the time, showcasing a unique visual language that blends mythological symbolism with advanced metallurgical techniques.

Recent discoveries have revealed that many of these bronzes were originally painted with vivid colors—black and red pigments used to highlight eyes, hair, and intricate motifs. This challenges earlier assumptions that painted bronzes only emerged during later dynasties like the Warring States or Han. The Sanxingdui bronzes were cast using alloys of copper, tin, and lead, and adorned with gold and lacquer, indicating a high level of technological innovation. Notably, the “core frame-strip core support” casting method allowed artisans to create long, curved forms like the sacred trees, demonstrating a modular and adaptive approach to bronze production.

Beyond their aesthetic and technical brilliance, these bronzes offer profound insights into the spiritual and ceremonial life of the Shu people. The absence of written language on the artifacts suggests an oral tradition, while recurring motifs—such as sun worship and fantastical creatures—point to a cosmology distinct from the Central Plains cultures. The sacrificial pits, where many bronzes were ritually buried, reflect complex religious practices and possibly responses to natural disasters or political upheaval. Today, the Sanxingdui bronzes continue to captivate scholars and audiences worldwide, not only for their beauty but for the mysteries they preserve about a civilization that flourished in splendid isolation.

Entering Ancient Sichuan - Gallery One

Bronze human head
Shang dynasty (1600 BCE - 1046 BCE). Unearthed from No. 2 Sacrificial Pit of the Sanxingdui Archaeological Site, Guanghan City, Sichuan Province in 1986.

  • Numerous bronze statues and masks have been unearthed from sacrificial pits at the Sanxingdui site.
  • Based on their hairstyles, clothing, and facial features, they can be identified as belonging to different social classes or ethnic groups.
  • This suggests a ruling group centered around Shu, encompassing numerous ethnic groups, and the centrality of theocracy.

Bronze lei wine vessel with beast-mask motif
Western Zhou dynasty (1146 BCE - 771 BCE). Unearthed from a cellar at Zhuwa Street, Mengyang Township, Peng County (present-day Pengzhou City), Sichuan Province in 1959.


Bronze lei wine vessel with goat head-shaped handles and six-vortex pattern
Western Zhou dynasty (1146 BCE - 771 BCE). Unearthed from a cellar at Zhuwa Street, Mengyang Township, Peng County (present-day Pengzhou City), Sichuan Province in 1959.


Bronze lei wine vessel with ox head-shaped handles
Western Zhou dynasty (1146 BCE - 771 BCE). Unearthed from a cellar at Zhuwa Street, Mengyang Township, Peng County (present-day Pengzhou City), Sichuan Province in 1959.


Bronze zhi wine vessel inscribed with characters of "Mu Zheng Fu Ji"
Western Zhou dynasty (1146 BCE - 771 BCE). Unearthed from a cellar at Zhuwa Street, Mengyang Township, Peng County (present-day Pengzhou City), Sichuan Province in 1959.


Bronze lei wine vessel with elephant head-shaped handles and dragon design
Western Zhou dynasty (1146 BCE - 771 BCE). Unearthed from a cellar at Zhuwa Street, Mengyang Township, Peng County (present-day Pengzhou City), Sichuan Province in 1959.


Bronze fang wine vessel
Warring States period (475 BCE - 221 BCE). Unearthed from No. 172 Tomb, Yangzishan, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province.


Bronze ding tripod
Warring States period (475 BCE - 221 BCE). Unearthed from No. 172 Tomb, Yangzishan, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province in 1954.


Bronze ding wine vessel with design of phoenixes and birds
Warring States period (475 BCE - 221 BCE). Unearthed from No. 88 Tomb, Yangzishan, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province in 1954.


Bronze spear

Bronze zeng instrument
Warring States period (475 BCE - 221 BCE). Unearthed from a Tomb in Xiaotianxi, Fuling County, Sichuan Province (present-day Fuling District, Chongqing Municipality) in 1972.


Bronze lei vessel with four ringed knobs and design of tigers
Warring States period (475 BCE - 221 BCE). Unearthed from No. 1 Tomb, Xiaotianxi, Fuling District, Chongqing Municipality in 1972.


Lacquer-inlaid bronze hu wine vessel with cloud design
Warring States period (475 BCE - 221 BCE). Unearthed from a Tomb in Xiaotianxi, Fuling County, Sichuan Province (present-day Fuling District, Chongqing Municipality) in 1972.


Bronze chunyu instrument
Warring States period (475 BCE - 221 BCE). Unearthed from a Tomb in Xiaotianxi, Fuling County, Sichuan Province (present-day Fuling District, Chongqing Municipality) in 1972.


Bronze food containers
Warring States period (475 BCE - 221 BCE). Unearthed from the wooden-coffin tomb at Majaxiang Township, Xindu County (present-day Xindu District), Chengdu City, Sichuan Province in 1980.


Lidded bronze yufou water container with Panhui design
Warring States period (475 BCE - 221 BCE). Unearthed from the wooden-coffin tomb at Majaxiang Township, Xindu County (present-day Xindu District), Chengdu City, Sichuan Province in 1980.


Bronze jian water container with Panhui design
Warring States period (475 BCE - 221 BCE). Unearthed from the wooden-coffin tomb at Majaxiang Township, Xindu County (present-day Xindu District), Chengdu City, Sichuan Province in 1980.


Bronze sword
Warring States period (475 BCE - 221 BCE). Unearthed from the wooden-coffin tomb at Majaxiang Township, Xindu District, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province in 1980.


Lidded bronze yufou water container with Panhui design
Warring States period (475 BCE - 221 BCE). Unearthed from the wooden-coffin tomb at Majaxiang Township, Xindu County (present-day Xindu District), Chengdu City, Sichuan Province in 1980.


Bronze hu wine vessel with design of land and naval battle scenes
Warring States period (475 BCE - 221 BCE). Unearthed from Baihuatan High School, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province in 1965.

  • This bronze hu is composed of the upper, middle and lower layers divided by triangular cloud patterns.
  • The upper layer features scenes of picking mulberry leaves and hunting, the middle layer scenes of a banquet accompanied by music and archery, and the lower layer land and naval battle scenes.
  • Land and naval battle scenes often appear in bronzes of the Warring Suites period.
  • This type of bronze hu is likely to originate from the Central Plains area.

See Also

Sources

Location

Location: 251 Huan Hua Nan Lu, Qing Yang Qu, Cheng Du Shi, Si Chuan Sheng, China, 610032