Page 186 - Deydier UNDERSTANDING CHINESE ARCHAIC BRONZES
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In the Xiaowen benji 孝文本記 and Fengshen shu 封神書 sections of reproductions modeled closely in detail on actual ancient Shang 商 and
his famous Shiji 史記 or ‘Records of the Grand Historian’, Sima Qian Zhou 周 period bronzes and then other copies, which, while following the
司馬遷 (circa 145 or 135 – 86 B.C.) relates the dishonest shenanigans general shape of ancient bronzes, deliberately added then-fashionable
of the sorcerer-like geomancer, fengshui 風水 master and government design motifs or other innovations to suit Song 宋 dynasty taste. Copies
official Xin Yuanping 新垣平, who attempted to increase his wealth of this second type which were stylistically influenced by the art of the
and political power by taking advantage of the superstitious nature Song 宋, are often embellished with gold and /or silver inlay.
and credulity of the Western Han 西漢 Emperor Wendi 文帝 (ruled
circa 179 – 156 B.C.). It is recorded by Sima Qian 司馬遷 that Xin 新 Song 宋 copies of both categories of bronze vessels are usually heavier,
had artisans secretly produce two types of fakes that would be likely their metal darker, their finish rougher, and their decorative motifs
to gain favour with Emperor Wendi 文帝, who craved auspicious signs less deeply cast than those on genuine Shang 商 and Zhou 周 archaic
from heaven that he would be blessed with a long life and a prosperous bronzes. Their patina, which is usually stuck onto the vessel with glue
reign. One of these fakes was an archaic-style jade wine cup bearing the or other adhesive, is often composed of a base of turquoise powder and
inscription ‘The Lifespan of the Ruler of Men Will Be Extended’ 人主 touches of red and blue rust. The inscriptions, when there are any, are
延壽; the other was a large bronze Zhou ding 周鼎 which Xin 新 had fairly faithful copies of real inscriptions, but they are less deeply cast
buried near Fenyin 汾陰. into the metal than those on ancient vessels.
Xin Yuanping 新垣平 successfully presented the inscribed jade cup
to the elated Emperor Wendi 文帝, who, as a sign of his gratitude, Fakes of the Yuan 元 dynasty
immediately promoted the charlatan. However, unfortunately for Xin
Yuanping 新垣平, the hapless Emperor was later convinced by two During the Yuan 元 dynasty, progress was made in the art of copying.
faithful ministers, Zhang Cang 張蒼 and Zhang Shi Zhi 張釋之 that he Certain artisans of Henan 河南, Shandong 山東 and Shanxi 山西
had been duped by the charlatan Xin 新. provinces become renowned for the quality of their work. A number of
their reproduced pieces were inadvertently included in the Qing Imperial
History records that Xin Yuanping 新垣平 and his whole family, Collections formed by the Qing Emperors and are today conserved in
including his wife’s family, were eventually executed for his crimes. the Imperial Palace Museum in Beijing. In spite of the improvements
However, according to Sima Qian 司馬遷, Xin Yuanping’s 新垣平 made in the Yuan 元 dynasty, these copies are, nevertheless, of poor
bogus Zhou ding 周鼎 remained undiscovered, only to be unearthed quality when compared to the genuine masterpieces of the Shang 商
at Fenyin 汾陰 several decades later in the sixth month of the fourth and Zhou 周. Their forms look clumsy, their decorative motifs are
year of Yuanding 元鼎四年六月 during the reign of Emperor Wudi 武 less sharply cast and their patina is of mediocre quality. Quite often,
帝 (reigned 140 – 86 B.C.), at which time its discovery was hailed as an purely Yuan 元 period characteristics appear in the vessels’ decor, tell-
auspicious sign of heaven’s blessings and pleasure and duly recorded tale signs of their being reproductions and not genuine ancient period
in the Hanshu 漢書! bronzes.
Fakes of the Song 宋 period Fakes of the Ming 明 dynasty
At the request of the Emperors and Literati of the period, who were Fakes produced in the Ming 明 dynasty are most usually very artificially
fervent Confucianists and admirers of antiquity and especially of the archaic in style and immediately betray their inauthenticity by the
Zhou 周 dynasty, the artisans of the Song 宋 produced numerous baroque quality of their decoration, which is often enhanced with
reproductions of ancient ritual bronzes. These were of two types: gold and/or silver inlay. These pieces are beautifully cast and of a
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