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Research on ancient glass products
Liuli, also known as "Liu Li" and "Wang Liuli", is a kind of ore translucent material. In ancient times, people called colored glaze in many ways. Some people thought it was a mineral, some people thought it was the horn of an animal, and some people said that glazed glass was never produced in ancient China. . All of these cast a mysterious veil on Liuli, Glass product .
According to reports, there are many records about Liuli in ancient Chinese books. It is recorded in the "Biography of the Western Regions in the Book of Han" that (Yanbin) "produces pearls, corals, tiger souls, and displacement", and Yan Shigu cited "Wei Lue": "The Great Qin country produced ten kinds of displacement, including red, white, black, yellow, green, red and purple." "The Biography of Da Yuezhi in Wei Shu" said: "The merchants of his country, since Yunneng can cast stones for the five-color king Liuli".
Experts believe that the earliest record of Liuli is the record of casting stone in the Biography of Mu Tianzi. It is believed that the cast stone in the Biography of Mu Tianzi may be a kind of glass. "Wei Lue" Daqin refers to the Eastern Roman Empire, and the displacement mentioned here should be a kind of glass.
For a long time, the names of glaze and glass are often confused together. Some experts believe that glass, also known as Poli, was sometimes called colored glaze in ancient times. But the name Liuli sometimes refers to thin slices made from ox horns. At present, the earliest glass in China is the glass walls and glass seals unearthed from the tomb of Chu in Changsha. They are relics from the Warring States Period. Whether they were self-made or shipped from abroad is inconclusive.
Speaking of glazed glass, it is inseparable from glazed craftsmanship. The glazed craft is a traditional Chinese folk craft. It is made of pottery and glazed glaze (the main component is lead oxide) and then fired in a kiln. Archaeological materials unearthed in various places over the years prove that during the Warring States Period, there were already glazed making techniques, but the materials were impure and sometimes mixed with the utensils. It was not until the Song Dynasty that the real glazed making techniques appeared.
Warring States, 8.1 cm in diameter, 0.25 cm in thickness Unearthed in 1955 by Sima Chong, Changsha City
Milky white with ochre yellow marks on it, decorated with 6 circles of raised grain grains, orderly horizontally and vertically. The grains are arranged on the front, and the grains are rough to the touch, and the grains and mesh mold marks can be seen on the back. The glass bi is an imitation of the jade bi. There are a large number of glass walls in the collection, all of which are round and flat, with a round hole in the middle. The colors are light green, milky white, beige, and dark green, which symbolize blue-white jade, white jade, topaz, and jasper respectively. Among them, light green is the most. Dark green is the least. There are only two kinds of patterns, grain pattern and cloud pattern, and some add a string pattern on the inner and outer edges of the wall. The vast majority of jade ornaments are decorated with grain patterns, one side with patterns is smooth and shiny, and the other side is rough and dull. Most of them were unearthed in the middle of the head of the tomb owner, either to indicate the identity of the tomb owner or for funeral purposes.
Warring States Period 8.8 cm in diameter, 0.25-0.3 cm thick, unearthed in Changsha Mould Factory in 1964
Milky white with visible bump marks on the edges. The front of the wall is covered with 6 circles of dense valley grains. The grains are arranged in an orderly manner, lined vertically and horizontally, and they are rough to the touch. The back is rough, with reticulated mold marks visible. The inner and outer edges are decorated with fine string patterns. The glass bi of the Warring States Period is decorated with the most grains, and the grains are divided into the number and thickness, the minimum is 4 circles, and the maximum is 8 circles. The grain pattern is the appearance of grain sprouting, which symbolizes the awakening of all things, a vibrant harvest scene and people's expectations for spring. The ancients used the jade decorated with grain patterns as auspicious jade. "Mandarin·Chu Language" has a record that "the jade is enough to shelter the Jiagu, so that there is no disaster of floods and droughts".
Warring States Period, 11.3 cm in diameter, 0.3 cm thick, unearthed in Yangjiashan, Changsha in 1975
Milky white with dark yellow marks. The 5 circles of valley grains on the front are sparsely arranged and shiny, and the inside and outside are bordered with string patterns, and there are obvious mesh mold marks on the back. Completely preserved, the shape and decoration of the vessel are imitated by the jade bi of the Warring States Period. Jade bi is an important ritual vessel in ancient times. In "Zhou Li", there are records that "the son holds the grain bi, and the male holds the Pu bi", "uses the cang bi to worship the sky", and "sparses the bi cong to collect the corpse". In all kinds of ritual activities, jade bi is indispensable, such as various sacrifices, betrothal gifts, weddings, court meetings, gifts, and funerals, jade bi is used. The important Chu tombs during the Warring States Period in Hunan were all buried with jade bi, while small and medium-sized tombs were generally buried with glass bi, indicating that the value of glass bi is lower than that of jade bi. Because jade wearing had become popular at that time, jade was not produced in Hunan, so glass products were used instead. There is no doubt that the glass bi is an imitation of the jade bi.
Warring States Period 8.15 cm in diameter, 0.2 cm in thickness Unearthed in Hongling, Xiangxiang County, 1965
Milky white with reddish marks on it. The grains on the front face are small and neatly arranged, making them rough to the touch. Corresponding valley lines can be seen on the back, and lines arranged in a mesh between the valley lines can be seen, which should be mold marks. The glass wall and other glassware are manufactured using the moulding process. Taking the glass wall as an example, first make a clay mold or pottery mold; then mix and mix all kinds of raw materials, put them into a crucible, heat it to above 1050 ℃, and make it melt; then pour the molten glass liquid into the crucible. Enter the mold; the last is the press mold. Due to the high viscosity of the glass, the mold cavity cannot be filled quickly. Before the glass liquid is hardened, it must be pressed into a wall shape with a piece of clay.
Warring States, 11.5 cm in diameter, 0.3 cm thick, unearthed at Changsha Film School in 1965
cream color. The surface of one side is smooth and shiny, decorated with 6 circles of grain patterns, and the arrangement is sparse; the other side is dull, and the grain patterns are not high. The glass wall of the Warring States Period is usually smooth and shiny on one side with decoration, and rough and dull on the other side. The reason for this phenomenon is because the temperature of the molten glass just poured is high, and the patterns on the mud fan are displayed on the surface of the glass wall; on the other side, because the amount of the molten glass poured (that is, the thickness of the wall) and the use of the wall are controlled. The surface of the glass liquid is flat, so it takes some time, the temperature of the glass surface drops, the viscosity increases, and the surface formed when another piece of mud is covered becomes rough and dull.
Warring States Period
11.5 cm in diameter, 0.2 cm thick
Unearthed from Meizi Mountain in Changsha in 1965
milky. The surface of one side is smooth, with 6 circles of raised grains; the other side is not smooth, and the grains are only partially raised. The whole utensils and decorations are not very regular. There is a thin string pattern around the outer edge. "Warring States Policy • Chu Ce" has a record of "the king of Chu ••••• offering the rhinoceros of chickens and the luminous jade to the king of Qin". According to expert research, the luminous jade refers to the glass jade, which may be because of its glittering at night. Named for glowing.
Warring States 11.6 cm in diameter, 0.3 cm thick
Unearthed in Yangjiashan, Changsha in 1960
Light green, with convex chords on the inner and outer edges. The front is smooth and decorated with 7 circles of grain, which are arranged regularly and feel thorny to the touch. The back is thicker, and the mesh mold marks can be seen. The main component of the Warring States glassware in the Hunan Provincial Museum is lead and barium, and the raw materials for producing lead and barium glass in Hunan are very rich. It is recorded in "Historical Records • Huoji Biography": "Changsha goes out of the company, tin". The so-called "lian" here is lead. "Hunan Provincial Chronicle • Geography" records that 20 counties including Linxiang, Chenxian and Guiyang are rich in lead-zinc mines. Hengnan, Hengyang, Suining, Longhui, Xiangtan, Xinhua and other counties have barite (BaSO4), which is another essential raw material for high lead barium glass. Zhuzhou, Xiangtan, Changning, Linli and other places all have silica with low iron content and large reserves, which is also the most important raw material for glass. Therefore, the high-lead-barium glass industry that manufactures artificial jade in ancient Hunan came into being.
Warring States Period
8 cm in diameter, 0.25 cm thick
Unearthed in 1959 from the Warring States Tomb in Dashan, Liujia, Changsha
Light green with slightly missing edges. The front is smooth and bright, the inner and outer edges each have a string pattern for one week, and the inner valley pattern of the string pattern is 6 circles, which are densely arranged and not regular. The back is matt, with obvious mesh mold marks.
Warring States Period (475-221 BC)
Diameter 8, thickness 0.2 ~ 0.25 cm
Unearthed in 1957, M28, the construction site of Zuojiatang Leather Goods Society, Changsha
Milky white with bump marks on the sides. The front is bright and shiny, bordered by string patterns, and decorated with five rows of raised grain grains, which are neatly arranged and rough to the touch.
Warring States Period
Diameter 14.1 cm, thickness 0.45 cm
Unearthed in 1955 in Changsha Chenjia Mountain
Dark green. The front and back sides are decorated with moiré for a glossy finish. With a diameter of 14.1 and a weight of 225 grams, this piece is the largest and heaviest piece ever found in the Warring States period in Hunan.
A feature of this bi is that there are clear and beautiful cloud patterns on both sides, and both sides are as smooth as jade. It seems that the technical problem that one side is glossy and one side is rough in the manufacture of early grain glass wall has finally been solved with the progress of manufacturing technology. Cloud patterns are like floating clouds and scrolls, which are extremely popular in Chu. Although they have the intention of simulating natural phenomena, they are more related to the Taoism and Huang-Lao's theory of advocating immortality. Most of the immortals live in the misty clouds and mists of the immortal mountains at sea, which are desirable places. When the cloud pattern was used on jade, it was flexing and changing, vivid and smooth, and became the mainstream pattern at that time.
Warring States Diameter 3.9-4 cm, thickness 0.3 cm
Unearthed in Yanjialing in 1952
This ring is translucent, blue, with a high inner edge, uneven edges, not very round, and decorated with four circles of valley patterns. The shape and decoration of the vessel are imitated by the Warring States Period Yuhuan. Yuhuan is one of the most common ornaments in ancient times. Regarding its function, "Xunzi·Dalue" said that it is a sign of reconciliation. For the jade rings unearthed by archaeological excavations, the large ones are often worn on the arms, and the medium ones are usually placed on the waist. The small ones are placed on the phalanx or near the skull, or contained in the mouth. These circumstances show that large jade rings can be used as bracelets, medium jade rings can be used as accessories, and small jade rings can be used as finger rings, earrings and as a substitute for jade. The glass ring here, from the analysis of its shape and decoration, is a substitute for jade ring and should be used as an ornament.
Warring States Period
3.9 cm in diameter, 0.3-0.4 cm thick
Unearthed in Changsha in 1955
Dark blue, translucent, with three grains of grain. There are raised string patterns on the inner and outer profiles, and the production is rough and irregular.
Warring States Period
3.1 cm in diameter, 0.2 cm thick
Unearthed in Changsha Coffin Pond in 1953
Beige, with small teeth on the side, bright on one side, rough on the other, nearly fusiform in cross section, flat in the middle on one side and slopes on both sides.
Warring States Period
15.5 cm long, 0.25 cm thick
Hunan Provincial Museum Collection
No glass Huang has been unearthed so far, but there is a glass Huang collected from the Warring States Period in the collection of Hunan Provincial Museum. Swirl moiré on both sides.
Jade Huang is a ritual vessel, and it is called "Bi Bi Yue Huang" made in Han Dynasty. However, the jade huang excavated by archaeological excavations has no obvious function as a ritual vessel, and is mostly used as an ornament. Both ends and the upper part of the glass huang here are perforated and can be tied with ropes, and their purpose should be to play the role of jade in the formation of jade pendants, rather than the utensils that "respect the north" as the Han Confucian said.
Warring States, cm in diameter, 0.5 cm in thickness, unearthed in Dongtang outside the south gate of Changsha, Hunan in 1953
cream color. There are bump marks on the back. The utensil is in the shape of a round cake, with a short column on the back, 0.4 cm in length and 0.9 cm in diameter, and can be connected to a sword hilt. The surface of the vessel is bright, with a grain pattern in the center, surrounded by two yang-line string patterns, with four single-line persimmon pedicle patterns outside the string pattern, and three circles of grain patterns outside the thicker string pattern, and the arrangement is not very regular. There is a week of thin string lines in addition to the valley lines. Unearthed in a small pit tomb, the blade has been corroded. The vessel is basically intact, and its shape and decoration imitate the head of a jade sword in the Warring States Period.
The jade sword head is one of the jade sword ornaments. Sword ornaments refer to the ornaments inlaid on the hilt and scabbard. Swords decorated with jade are called jade swords, and have a proper name since the Western Han Dynasty. "Hanshu • Huns Biography": "Give •••••• · Jade Sword." A complete jade sword is composed of 4 jade ornaments of the sword, sword grid, sword, and sword. The use of jade to decorate the sword has been found in the Western Zhou Dynasty, and the jade scabbard is from the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the princes competed for hegemony, and wars were frequent. It was very popular to decorate the sword with jade, and it became a symbol of status.
Glass sword ornaments are imitations of jade sword ornaments. At present, there are two more common archaeological discoveries: sword heads and sword rings, and they are mainly unearthed in Chu tombs in Hunan, especially Changsha.
Warring States Period, 4.5 cm in diameter and 0.4 cm in thickness, unearthed in 1955 at Xia Dalong, Changsha, Hunan
Blue-white, with a slight bump. The utensil is in the shape of a round cake, the front is smooth and bright, the center is decorated with a grain pattern, surrounded by two yang line string patterns, the outer surface is decorated with four persimmon pedicle patterns, and the outer area is three rows of grain patterns, the arrangement is very irregular. It feels rough to the touch. The center of the back is uneven.
The head of the sword is an ornament inlaid on the hilt of the sword. Most of the glass sword heads in the collection are light green, round cake-shaped, slightly concave in the center, and there is a small column under it to connect with the sword. The decorations on the first surface are mostly grain patterns, persimmon pedicle patterns and panchi patterns. The diameter of the sword head is generally 4.2-4.7 cm and the thickness is 0.4-0.5 cm. Glass sword heads appeared in the middle of the Warring States Period, prevailed in the late Warring States Period, and lasted until the early Western Han Dynasty. The earlier ones were decorated with grain patterns, those with persimmon pedicles were added later, and those with panchi patterns appeared later.
Warring States Period
4.5 cm in diameter, 0.4 cm thick
Unearthed outside the south gate of Changsha in 1957
Light green with slight bumps. The utensil is in the shape of a round cake, the center part of the two-string pattern is surrounded by a valley-like pattern, the outer ring is decorated with a persimmon pattern outlined by a single line, and the outer ring is covered with three rows of valley patterns, which are not very neat and rough to the touch. There is a round hole concave in the center of the back with a diameter of 2.5 cm, which can be connected to the hilt. The utensil is basically complete, and the shape and decoration of the utensil are all imitating the head of a jade sword in the Warring States Period.
The persimmon pedicle pattern is often seen on the glass sword head, which is a decorative pattern with the characteristics of the times that emerged in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period and was popular in the Han Dynasty. The book "Youyang Zazu" wrote: "The root of the wood is solid, and the persimmon is the most. It is commonly called the persimmon plate." Therefore, the persimmon pedicle symbolizes firmness and sturdiness.
Warring States Period 4.7 cm in diameter, 0.4 cm thick Unearthed in Heishidu, Changsha, Hunan in 1956
White and blue, there are knock marks on the edge, slightly missing. The device is shaped like a round cake, with a small column extending on the back, which can be embedded in the hilt of a sword. There is a valley-shaped pattern in the center of the surface of the vessel, with two string-shaped circles on the periphery. The leaf-like pattern outlined by four single lines is drawn from the string pattern and is slightly "cross"-shaped. There are two string patterns on the outside, and two curled pans are cast on the outside. Chi pattern, the surface is smoother and smoother. This kind of glass sword head with panchi pattern is rare. When it was unearthed, only the sword head was found in the tomb, and no metal or other sword ornaments were found.
The panchi pattern is one of the common patterns in ancient utensils. It represents a legendary dragon without horns, the Chi. It was popular on jade wares in the Warring States and Han Dynasties. Warring States panchi pattern, round eyes and big nose, double-line thin eyebrows, cat ears, thick and curved neck, curved legs, and often upturned claws. The body is mostly outlined by Yin lines, and the tail is a plastic silk-shaped Yin line.
Warring States Period
4.7 cm in diameter, 0.4 cm thick
Gray-white, with bump marks on the back and weathering on the surface. The device is in the shape of a round cake with green glass beads embedded in it, with a diameter of 1.3 cm. There is a persimmon pedicle-like pattern outlined by a single line on the outside. There is a circle of string patterns on the outside of the persimmon pedicle-like pattern, and there are three rows of grain patterns on the outside. The arrangement is relatively regular and it feels rough to the touch. There is a small column extension on the back, which can be embedded in the hilt. Different colored glass pieces are preserved on the glass sword head.
According to reports, there are many records about Liuli in ancient Chinese books. It is recorded in the "Biography of the Western Regions in the Book of Han" that (Yanbin) "produces pearls, corals, tiger souls, and displacement", and Yan Shigu cited "Wei Lue": "The Great Qin country produced ten kinds of displacement, including red, white, black, yellow, green, red and purple." "The Biography of Da Yuezhi in Wei Shu" said: "The merchants of his country, since Yunneng can cast stones for the five-color king Liuli".
Experts believe that the earliest record of Liuli is the record of casting stone in the Biography of Mu Tianzi. It is believed that the cast stone in the Biography of Mu Tianzi may be a kind of glass. "Wei Lue" Daqin refers to the Eastern Roman Empire, and the displacement mentioned here should be a kind of glass.
For a long time, the names of glaze and glass are often confused together. Some experts believe that glass, also known as Poli, was sometimes called colored glaze in ancient times. But the name Liuli sometimes refers to thin slices made from ox horns. At present, the earliest glass in China is the glass walls and glass seals unearthed from the tomb of Chu in Changsha. They are relics from the Warring States Period. Whether they were self-made or shipped from abroad is inconclusive.
Speaking of glazed glass, it is inseparable from glazed craftsmanship. The glazed craft is a traditional Chinese folk craft. It is made of pottery and glazed glaze (the main component is lead oxide) and then fired in a kiln. Archaeological materials unearthed in various places over the years prove that during the Warring States Period, there were already glazed making techniques, but the materials were impure and sometimes mixed with the utensils. It was not until the Song Dynasty that the real glazed making techniques appeared.
Warring States, 8.1 cm in diameter, 0.25 cm in thickness Unearthed in 1955 by Sima Chong, Changsha City
Milky white with ochre yellow marks on it, decorated with 6 circles of raised grain grains, orderly horizontally and vertically. The grains are arranged on the front, and the grains are rough to the touch, and the grains and mesh mold marks can be seen on the back. The glass bi is an imitation of the jade bi. There are a large number of glass walls in the collection, all of which are round and flat, with a round hole in the middle. The colors are light green, milky white, beige, and dark green, which symbolize blue-white jade, white jade, topaz, and jasper respectively. Among them, light green is the most. Dark green is the least. There are only two kinds of patterns, grain pattern and cloud pattern, and some add a string pattern on the inner and outer edges of the wall. The vast majority of jade ornaments are decorated with grain patterns, one side with patterns is smooth and shiny, and the other side is rough and dull. Most of them were unearthed in the middle of the head of the tomb owner, either to indicate the identity of the tomb owner or for funeral purposes.
Warring States Period 8.8 cm in diameter, 0.25-0.3 cm thick, unearthed in Changsha Mould Factory in 1964
Milky white with visible bump marks on the edges. The front of the wall is covered with 6 circles of dense valley grains. The grains are arranged in an orderly manner, lined vertically and horizontally, and they are rough to the touch. The back is rough, with reticulated mold marks visible. The inner and outer edges are decorated with fine string patterns. The glass bi of the Warring States Period is decorated with the most grains, and the grains are divided into the number and thickness, the minimum is 4 circles, and the maximum is 8 circles. The grain pattern is the appearance of grain sprouting, which symbolizes the awakening of all things, a vibrant harvest scene and people's expectations for spring. The ancients used the jade decorated with grain patterns as auspicious jade. "Mandarin·Chu Language" has a record that "the jade is enough to shelter the Jiagu, so that there is no disaster of floods and droughts".
Warring States Period, 11.3 cm in diameter, 0.3 cm thick, unearthed in Yangjiashan, Changsha in 1975
Milky white with dark yellow marks. The 5 circles of valley grains on the front are sparsely arranged and shiny, and the inside and outside are bordered with string patterns, and there are obvious mesh mold marks on the back. Completely preserved, the shape and decoration of the vessel are imitated by the jade bi of the Warring States Period. Jade bi is an important ritual vessel in ancient times. In "Zhou Li", there are records that "the son holds the grain bi, and the male holds the Pu bi", "uses the cang bi to worship the sky", and "sparses the bi cong to collect the corpse". In all kinds of ritual activities, jade bi is indispensable, such as various sacrifices, betrothal gifts, weddings, court meetings, gifts, and funerals, jade bi is used. The important Chu tombs during the Warring States Period in Hunan were all buried with jade bi, while small and medium-sized tombs were generally buried with glass bi, indicating that the value of glass bi is lower than that of jade bi. Because jade wearing had become popular at that time, jade was not produced in Hunan, so glass products were used instead. There is no doubt that the glass bi is an imitation of the jade bi.
Warring States Period 8.15 cm in diameter, 0.2 cm in thickness Unearthed in Hongling, Xiangxiang County, 1965
Milky white with reddish marks on it. The grains on the front face are small and neatly arranged, making them rough to the touch. Corresponding valley lines can be seen on the back, and lines arranged in a mesh between the valley lines can be seen, which should be mold marks. The glass wall and other glassware are manufactured using the moulding process. Taking the glass wall as an example, first make a clay mold or pottery mold; then mix and mix all kinds of raw materials, put them into a crucible, heat it to above 1050 ℃, and make it melt; then pour the molten glass liquid into the crucible. Enter the mold; the last is the press mold. Due to the high viscosity of the glass, the mold cavity cannot be filled quickly. Before the glass liquid is hardened, it must be pressed into a wall shape with a piece of clay.
Warring States, 11.5 cm in diameter, 0.3 cm thick, unearthed at Changsha Film School in 1965
cream color. The surface of one side is smooth and shiny, decorated with 6 circles of grain patterns, and the arrangement is sparse; the other side is dull, and the grain patterns are not high. The glass wall of the Warring States Period is usually smooth and shiny on one side with decoration, and rough and dull on the other side. The reason for this phenomenon is because the temperature of the molten glass just poured is high, and the patterns on the mud fan are displayed on the surface of the glass wall; on the other side, because the amount of the molten glass poured (that is, the thickness of the wall) and the use of the wall are controlled. The surface of the glass liquid is flat, so it takes some time, the temperature of the glass surface drops, the viscosity increases, and the surface formed when another piece of mud is covered becomes rough and dull.
Warring States Period
11.5 cm in diameter, 0.2 cm thick
Unearthed from Meizi Mountain in Changsha in 1965
milky. The surface of one side is smooth, with 6 circles of raised grains; the other side is not smooth, and the grains are only partially raised. The whole utensils and decorations are not very regular. There is a thin string pattern around the outer edge. "Warring States Policy • Chu Ce" has a record of "the king of Chu ••••• offering the rhinoceros of chickens and the luminous jade to the king of Qin". According to expert research, the luminous jade refers to the glass jade, which may be because of its glittering at night. Named for glowing.
Warring States 11.6 cm in diameter, 0.3 cm thick
Unearthed in Yangjiashan, Changsha in 1960
Light green, with convex chords on the inner and outer edges. The front is smooth and decorated with 7 circles of grain, which are arranged regularly and feel thorny to the touch. The back is thicker, and the mesh mold marks can be seen. The main component of the Warring States glassware in the Hunan Provincial Museum is lead and barium, and the raw materials for producing lead and barium glass in Hunan are very rich. It is recorded in "Historical Records • Huoji Biography": "Changsha goes out of the company, tin". The so-called "lian" here is lead. "Hunan Provincial Chronicle • Geography" records that 20 counties including Linxiang, Chenxian and Guiyang are rich in lead-zinc mines. Hengnan, Hengyang, Suining, Longhui, Xiangtan, Xinhua and other counties have barite (BaSO4), which is another essential raw material for high lead barium glass. Zhuzhou, Xiangtan, Changning, Linli and other places all have silica with low iron content and large reserves, which is also the most important raw material for glass. Therefore, the high-lead-barium glass industry that manufactures artificial jade in ancient Hunan came into being.
Warring States Period
8 cm in diameter, 0.25 cm thick
Unearthed in 1959 from the Warring States Tomb in Dashan, Liujia, Changsha
Light green with slightly missing edges. The front is smooth and bright, the inner and outer edges each have a string pattern for one week, and the inner valley pattern of the string pattern is 6 circles, which are densely arranged and not regular. The back is matt, with obvious mesh mold marks.
Warring States Period (475-221 BC)
Diameter 8, thickness 0.2 ~ 0.25 cm
Unearthed in 1957, M28, the construction site of Zuojiatang Leather Goods Society, Changsha
Milky white with bump marks on the sides. The front is bright and shiny, bordered by string patterns, and decorated with five rows of raised grain grains, which are neatly arranged and rough to the touch.
Warring States Period
Diameter 14.1 cm, thickness 0.45 cm
Unearthed in 1955 in Changsha Chenjia Mountain
Dark green. The front and back sides are decorated with moiré for a glossy finish. With a diameter of 14.1 and a weight of 225 grams, this piece is the largest and heaviest piece ever found in the Warring States period in Hunan.
A feature of this bi is that there are clear and beautiful cloud patterns on both sides, and both sides are as smooth as jade. It seems that the technical problem that one side is glossy and one side is rough in the manufacture of early grain glass wall has finally been solved with the progress of manufacturing technology. Cloud patterns are like floating clouds and scrolls, which are extremely popular in Chu. Although they have the intention of simulating natural phenomena, they are more related to the Taoism and Huang-Lao's theory of advocating immortality. Most of the immortals live in the misty clouds and mists of the immortal mountains at sea, which are desirable places. When the cloud pattern was used on jade, it was flexing and changing, vivid and smooth, and became the mainstream pattern at that time.
Warring States Diameter 3.9-4 cm, thickness 0.3 cm
Unearthed in Yanjialing in 1952
This ring is translucent, blue, with a high inner edge, uneven edges, not very round, and decorated with four circles of valley patterns. The shape and decoration of the vessel are imitated by the Warring States Period Yuhuan. Yuhuan is one of the most common ornaments in ancient times. Regarding its function, "Xunzi·Dalue" said that it is a sign of reconciliation. For the jade rings unearthed by archaeological excavations, the large ones are often worn on the arms, and the medium ones are usually placed on the waist. The small ones are placed on the phalanx or near the skull, or contained in the mouth. These circumstances show that large jade rings can be used as bracelets, medium jade rings can be used as accessories, and small jade rings can be used as finger rings, earrings and as a substitute for jade. The glass ring here, from the analysis of its shape and decoration, is a substitute for jade ring and should be used as an ornament.
Warring States Period
3.9 cm in diameter, 0.3-0.4 cm thick
Unearthed in Changsha in 1955
Dark blue, translucent, with three grains of grain. There are raised string patterns on the inner and outer profiles, and the production is rough and irregular.
Warring States Period
3.1 cm in diameter, 0.2 cm thick
Unearthed in Changsha Coffin Pond in 1953
Beige, with small teeth on the side, bright on one side, rough on the other, nearly fusiform in cross section, flat in the middle on one side and slopes on both sides.
Warring States Period
15.5 cm long, 0.25 cm thick
Hunan Provincial Museum Collection
No glass Huang has been unearthed so far, but there is a glass Huang collected from the Warring States Period in the collection of Hunan Provincial Museum. Swirl moiré on both sides.
Jade Huang is a ritual vessel, and it is called "Bi Bi Yue Huang" made in Han Dynasty. However, the jade huang excavated by archaeological excavations has no obvious function as a ritual vessel, and is mostly used as an ornament. Both ends and the upper part of the glass huang here are perforated and can be tied with ropes, and their purpose should be to play the role of jade in the formation of jade pendants, rather than the utensils that "respect the north" as the Han Confucian said.
Warring States, cm in diameter, 0.5 cm in thickness, unearthed in Dongtang outside the south gate of Changsha, Hunan in 1953
cream color. There are bump marks on the back. The utensil is in the shape of a round cake, with a short column on the back, 0.4 cm in length and 0.9 cm in diameter, and can be connected to a sword hilt. The surface of the vessel is bright, with a grain pattern in the center, surrounded by two yang-line string patterns, with four single-line persimmon pedicle patterns outside the string pattern, and three circles of grain patterns outside the thicker string pattern, and the arrangement is not very regular. There is a week of thin string lines in addition to the valley lines. Unearthed in a small pit tomb, the blade has been corroded. The vessel is basically intact, and its shape and decoration imitate the head of a jade sword in the Warring States Period.
The jade sword head is one of the jade sword ornaments. Sword ornaments refer to the ornaments inlaid on the hilt and scabbard. Swords decorated with jade are called jade swords, and have a proper name since the Western Han Dynasty. "Hanshu • Huns Biography": "Give •••••• · Jade Sword." A complete jade sword is composed of 4 jade ornaments of the sword, sword grid, sword, and sword. The use of jade to decorate the sword has been found in the Western Zhou Dynasty, and the jade scabbard is from the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the princes competed for hegemony, and wars were frequent. It was very popular to decorate the sword with jade, and it became a symbol of status.
Glass sword ornaments are imitations of jade sword ornaments. At present, there are two more common archaeological discoveries: sword heads and sword rings, and they are mainly unearthed in Chu tombs in Hunan, especially Changsha.
Warring States Period, 4.5 cm in diameter and 0.4 cm in thickness, unearthed in 1955 at Xia Dalong, Changsha, Hunan
Blue-white, with a slight bump. The utensil is in the shape of a round cake, the front is smooth and bright, the center is decorated with a grain pattern, surrounded by two yang line string patterns, the outer surface is decorated with four persimmon pedicle patterns, and the outer area is three rows of grain patterns, the arrangement is very irregular. It feels rough to the touch. The center of the back is uneven.
The head of the sword is an ornament inlaid on the hilt of the sword. Most of the glass sword heads in the collection are light green, round cake-shaped, slightly concave in the center, and there is a small column under it to connect with the sword. The decorations on the first surface are mostly grain patterns, persimmon pedicle patterns and panchi patterns. The diameter of the sword head is generally 4.2-4.7 cm and the thickness is 0.4-0.5 cm. Glass sword heads appeared in the middle of the Warring States Period, prevailed in the late Warring States Period, and lasted until the early Western Han Dynasty. The earlier ones were decorated with grain patterns, those with persimmon pedicles were added later, and those with panchi patterns appeared later.
Warring States Period
4.5 cm in diameter, 0.4 cm thick
Unearthed outside the south gate of Changsha in 1957
Light green with slight bumps. The utensil is in the shape of a round cake, the center part of the two-string pattern is surrounded by a valley-like pattern, the outer ring is decorated with a persimmon pattern outlined by a single line, and the outer ring is covered with three rows of valley patterns, which are not very neat and rough to the touch. There is a round hole concave in the center of the back with a diameter of 2.5 cm, which can be connected to the hilt. The utensil is basically complete, and the shape and decoration of the utensil are all imitating the head of a jade sword in the Warring States Period.
The persimmon pedicle pattern is often seen on the glass sword head, which is a decorative pattern with the characteristics of the times that emerged in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period and was popular in the Han Dynasty. The book "Youyang Zazu" wrote: "The root of the wood is solid, and the persimmon is the most. It is commonly called the persimmon plate." Therefore, the persimmon pedicle symbolizes firmness and sturdiness.
Warring States Period 4.7 cm in diameter, 0.4 cm thick Unearthed in Heishidu, Changsha, Hunan in 1956
White and blue, there are knock marks on the edge, slightly missing. The device is shaped like a round cake, with a small column extending on the back, which can be embedded in the hilt of a sword. There is a valley-shaped pattern in the center of the surface of the vessel, with two string-shaped circles on the periphery. The leaf-like pattern outlined by four single lines is drawn from the string pattern and is slightly "cross"-shaped. There are two string patterns on the outside, and two curled pans are cast on the outside. Chi pattern, the surface is smoother and smoother. This kind of glass sword head with panchi pattern is rare. When it was unearthed, only the sword head was found in the tomb, and no metal or other sword ornaments were found.
The panchi pattern is one of the common patterns in ancient utensils. It represents a legendary dragon without horns, the Chi. It was popular on jade wares in the Warring States and Han Dynasties. Warring States panchi pattern, round eyes and big nose, double-line thin eyebrows, cat ears, thick and curved neck, curved legs, and often upturned claws. The body is mostly outlined by Yin lines, and the tail is a plastic silk-shaped Yin line.
Warring States Period
4.7 cm in diameter, 0.4 cm thick
Gray-white, with bump marks on the back and weathering on the surface. The device is in the shape of a round cake with green glass beads embedded in it, with a diameter of 1.3 cm. There is a persimmon pedicle-like pattern outlined by a single line on the outside. There is a circle of string patterns on the outside of the persimmon pedicle-like pattern, and there are three rows of grain patterns on the outside. The arrangement is relatively regular and it feels rough to the touch. There is a small column extension on the back, which can be embedded in the hilt. Different colored glass pieces are preserved on the glass sword head.
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