Shangzhou Shigong: 10 bronze ritual vessels from Shang and Zhou dynasties

The Shangzhou Shigong, the 10 tributes from the Shang (c. 16th century-11th century BC) and Zhou (c. 11th century-256 BC) dynasties, is a set of bronze wares, which was used to pay homage to great educator Confucius during a national-level ritual of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). These treasures are now housed at the Confucius Museum in Qufu, Shandong province.

According to tradition, Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty personally visited Qufu to pay homage to Confucius and found the ritual vessels used at the temple, cemetery and family mansion of Confucius to be too ordinary for the sage. He thereupon selected 10 bronze vessels from the imperial palace collection, dating to the Shang and Zhou dynasties, and bestowed them upon the Kong family.

Before granting them, the emperor had each vessel fitted with an exquisitely carved wooden base and an openwork jade ornament, inscribed with the seal "Qianlong Yushang" (imperially appreciated by Qianlong) in seal script, a hallmark of the Qing dynasty.

Functionally, the set includes two wine containers, one drinking vessel, three cooking vessels, and four food vessels. Elegant in style and archaic in form, the vessels are either covered in green patina and red rust or adorned with gold and silver inlay.

As a national first-class cultural relic, the Shangzhou Shigong represents the pinnacle of ancient Chinese bronze craftsmanship and stands as a testament to the profound connection between the imperial court and the Confucian heritage.

The Shangzhou Shigong is now housed at the Confucius Museum in Qufu, Shandong. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The Shangzhou Shigong, the 10 tributes from the Shang (c. 16th century-11th century BC) and Zhou (c. 11th century-256 BC) dynasties, is a set of bronze wares. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]