Page 213 - The Golden Age of Chinese Archaeology: Celebrated Discoveries from the People’s Republic of China

66 66
back

separates forehead from cranium, and a notch cen-
tered over the nose ridge must have held an object
in place over the front of the skull. On the back of
the skull, a raised band (resembling headgear of
some sort) hangs down between the ears. Mounted
to the back of the skull of cat. 68 is a curved, flaring
tube, open at both ends, intended perhaps to hold
an element of a headdress.
All the bronze heads have extensions at the
front and back of the neck that terminate in trian-
gular points. Seen from the side, the heads seem to
1
by one count, including cat. 6/ ) has a broad fore- have been designed to be mounted onto a support
head, a flat cranium — interpreted by some as a — possibly a torso of another material such as
representation of a flat cap — and a braided pigtail stone, clay, or wood. Thus mounted, these heads
that extends down the back of the head and neck; may have been bronze components of large statues
other types (to the extent published) apparently comparable to the standing figure. The contents
lack the distinguishing hairstyle. (Some writers have of the two pits (assuming a rough contemporaneity)
argued that the other types conceal the "hair" be- may have been part of a large ritual precinct or
neath the headgear.) At least one other example temple, with more than fifty human images installed
features a mask of applied gold leaf that covers the as an ensemble. If the human heads and the stand-
entire face, except for the brows and eyes. Three of ing figure indeed constitute an ensemble, several
the heads from the Sanxingdui pits (including cats. roles or statuses might have been implied by the
2
66 and 68 ) may be distinguished as another type varied headgear; only one head bears headgear
on the basis of their rounded skulls. A curved line matching that of the standing figure. How the

212 B R O N Z E ACE C H I N A