Ancient Chinese Bronzes in the Shanghai Museum

The Bronze Age in China spans a period of nearly 2,000 years from the 21st to the 3rd centuries BC. Its high cultural standard, artistic features and casting technology all ranked first in the ancient world, and today the products of this age remain a unique and distinctive legacy of Chinese art and culture. The ancient Chinese bronzes in the Shanghai Museum comprise one of the finest and most complete collections in existence, incorporating all five principal stages of bronze technology: the Emergent Stage (21st to 16th centuries BC), covering the production of cast bronze objects by the Xia people; the Formative Stage (Early 16th to 14th centuries BC), covering the findings of the early Shang sites and the improvements in casting techniques; the Magnificent Stage (Late Shang – Early Western Zhou, 14th-11th centuries BC), representing the highest standard of ancient Chinese bronze technology; the Transitional Stage (Mid and Late Western Zhou to Early Spring and Autumn 10th to 7th centuries BC), with huge bronzes of imposing appearance; and finally the Renewal Stage (Late Spring and Autumn to Warring States, 7th century to 221 BC). This is a stunningly beautiful collection with introductory texts and notes on casting techniques and the art of minority peoples such as the Nan Yue of southern China.