Bronze Ritual Vessel and Cover (You)
Maker Unknown
Date: Middle Western Zhou Dynasty, 1050 - 771 BC
Place Made: China
Materials & Techniques: Bronze cast
Dimensions: Height 18.5 cm
Accession Number: Compton Verney, CVCSC: 0319.A
A you is a Chinese wine vessel used in religious ceremonies such as funerals. Yous were filled with expensive wine and placed in the tombs of rich Chinese noblemen to be consumed on their way to the afterlife.
This fine example is nearly 3000 years old! It is highly decorated with a pair of very ornate birds facing each other. The handle is adorned with a similar design but with the addition of two animals, perhaps tapirs or mice. Inside the vessel an inscription reads ‘zuo bao yi’ which means ‘made this precious vessel’.
The you is made from bronze which is a type of metal made from copper, tin and a small amount of lead. Molten bronze is poured into a mould. Once this has cooled the mould is taken away and the outside is then cleaned and scraped. Age and chemical reaction have created the wonderful green surface colour which is called the patina.
Teachers' Information
This Chinese wine vessel or You is a ritual burial or ceremonial item. The decoration and quality workmanship is related to the status of the individual with which the vessel was associated.
Bronze is an alloy of copper, tin and a small amount of lead. The term Bronze Age denotes the first period in which metal was used and marks the advancement of human culture from the Stone Age to the Bronze Age. It occurred much earlier in Chinese culture than in the West. From the 17th century BC to the Han Dynasty (206 BCE-200 CE), Chinese people used rare and precious bronze to cast large quantities of ritual vessels, musical instruments and weapons that were elegant in form, finely decorated and clearly inscribed with Chinese characters. They affirm the artistic achievements of ancient China.
After the Western Zhou period (1050- 771BCE), bird designs, such as on this you, gradually became the main decorative pattern. Symmetry was very important in Chinese design and the intricate etching and engraving add to the sophistication of the piece.
The method used to produce this vessel is known as cire perdue, French for ‘Lost Wax’. The technique involves producing a model of the item from a thin layer of wax which is placed over a heat resistant core of clay. The design of the object is then carved into the wax. The wax is then covered with another heat resistant layer and melted off. The amount of wax that pours off is an indication of how much bronze is needed. Molten metal is then poured into the cavity that has been left. This technique was perfected by the Chinese long before Western culture.
Over the years bronze articles exposed to high humidity or buried underground underwent a natural process where they developed a bright and beautiful covering, or patina, which served as a protective coating. The colour itself, however, which ranges from rouge red to emerald green to sapphire blue, imparts added beauty and elegance to the vessels. The Chinese are particularly fond of this colourful coating and struggle to preserve it.
Activities
1. Your pupils could create their own air-drying clay you with elaborately carved symmetrical bird patterns. Turn your classroom into a Gallery with information about ancient China.
2. Create a map of the world with a pictorial account of what was happening in each continent during the Western Zhou Dynasty (1050-771 BCE). A group of students could be responsible for each continent. Prepare a presentation of your findings.
3. Ask your class to create a flat mould with a raised edge from air-drying clay or plasticine and etch a Chinese design into it. Don’t forget to include animals and keep the design symmetrical. Pour in Plaster of Paris to produce a fabulous Chinese inspired tile.