Page 243 - The Golden Age of Chinese Archaeology: Celebrated Discoveries from the People’s Republic of China

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Shi Qiang bronze pan vessel acknowledged and that he be granted a long life so
that he may continue to serve the Zhou kings.
5
3
Height 16.2 (6 /s), diam. 47.3 (i8 /s)
The genealogy given in the Shi Qiang pan in-
Middle Western Zhou Period, end of tenth
scription has made it possible to date the rest of
century BCE the Hoard i vessels and is an important historical
From Zhuangbai, Fufeng, Shaanxi Province
document in itself. The inscription is equally im-
Zhou Yuan Administrative Office of Cultural Relics, portant as evidence for the rise of poetry in China,
Fufeng, Shaanxi Province being stylistically identical to the four-character
rhyming line structure of the Shi jing (Classic
1
The Shi Qiang pan is without question the most of poetry). 2 ES
important of the 103 vessels found in Hoard i.
Indeed, in a little more than two decades after
Inscription of the Shi Qiang pan
its discovery and first publication, it has already
come to be regarded in many respects as the most Accordant with antiquity was the Cultured
important of all Western Zhou bronze vessels, King!
a position attributable almost entirely to its 270- He first brought harmony to government.
character-long inscription, which might justly be Di on High sent down fine virtue and great
described as the first conscious historical writing security.
in China. In two balanced halves, it juxtaposes Extending it above and below,
an outline of the first seven Western Zhou kings he joined the ten thousand countries.
(including the reigning Tianzi [Son of Heaven], who
Capturing and controlling was the Martial
is not named but who must have been King Gong King!
[r. c. 917-900 BCE]) with a similar genealogy of
four generations of the Wei family. The inscription He proceeded and campaigned through the
four quarters,
concludes with a prayer that Qiang's own merits be

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