When I saw the bronze statue of Uncle Luan in Guo Bo, I suddenly saw some scenes of Hong Kong opera, and I vaguely felt that this bronze statue was very Jianghu.
Let's take a look at its shape first. The bronze bowl of Luan Shu is a container for wine or water, with a height of 40.5cm, a diameter of 16.5cm and a foot diameter of 17cm. The bronze roof is curved, shaped like a pot, with a small mouth, a short neck, shoulders, a round belly and a short circle of feet. There are three rectangular blocks protruding outward at equal distance on the outer edge of the circle foot, and the bottom of the circle foot is raised in a cross shape. There are three small rectangular convex cards with equal distance on the inner edge of the cover, and there are four symmetrical annular ears on the cover and the ventral side, with moire on the ears.
The value of bronzes is mostly reflected in their inscriptions. There are inscriptions on the lid and belly surface of this bronze barrel. There are two lines and eight words on the cover: "Ji Chun is ugly in the first month." There are five lines and forty characters inscribed on the belly: "In the first month, the first day of Yuan Dynasty was ugly, and my uncle Sun chose his auspicious gold as a casting. In order to sacrifice my ancestors, I prayed for longevity in (Yu). The descendants of the banyan tree will always be treasures. "
According to legend, this device was unearthed in Huixian County, Henan Province, and somehow spread to Niyushu, an antique dealer in Wuqing, Hebei Province. On June 10, 1944, the famous collector Rong Geng bought it at a high price of 15000 yuan. The next day, he asked Mr. Tao Beiying, a famous seal engraver, to write a horizontal plaque of "Meng Jinlu" for him and hang it in his living room as the name of his study. This shows Mr. Rong Geng's love for this bronze ware.
From then on, every scholar, expert and good friend will ask to see this bronze statue. On August 1954 and 18, Rong Geng wrote to Guo Moruo, suggesting that the catalogue of Two Weeks of Golden Talk should be reprinted, and the section should be changed to photography, with the addition of "Mai Ding, Luan Shuyou, Ten Years Chen Dun", etc. It can be seen that he has already named this bronze ware.
From 65438 to 0956, Mr. Rong Geng donated 88 pieces (sets) of bronzes to Guangzhou Museum, including Luan Shu, which was quickly transferred from Guangzhou Museum to China History Museum (now in China National Museum). In 1958, the bronze ware name "Luan Shu" was officially announced for the first time according to the inscription in "General Theory of Bronzes in Yin and Zhou Dynasties" co-authored by Rong Geng and Zhang Qian.
Luan Shu, also known as "Luan Wuzi" or "Luan Bo", was a doctor in the State of Jin in the Spring and Autumn Period. He was in office for 14 years and was the second most famous minister in the history of the state of Jin. After publicly creating hegemony, Kim once became a great power. But at the same time, Qin's strength in the west is getting stronger and stronger, and it has played several rounds with Jin, and it has won and lost each other. Luan Shu was an important pillar of Jin Jinggong and Jin Ligong's victory over powerful countries. According to some scholars' research, during this period, Luan Shu commanded seven military operations, and the wars were all successful, which continued the time of Jin's hegemony.
Because of Mr. Rong Geng's position in bronze ware identification and ancient philology, for a long time, the academic circles generally regarded the bronze ware Luan Shu as an artifact of the Jin State in the mid-Spring and Autumn Period and a precious cultural relic with great historical value.
In the early 1990s, according to the newly excavated archaeological materials, scholars such as Mr. Yanou and Mr. Li Xueqin questioned the age and source of the bronze casket of "Luan Shu" handed down from generation to generation, pointing out that it should be regarded as a Chu-style object, not a A Jin-style object.
This is what scholars have studied, and we are only waiting for the final result. I also want to share with you the value and historical position of this bronze sculpture in terms of craftsmanship and calligraphy.
The inscription on the abdominal wall of this bronze ware is made of gold, and its shape is regular, so far it shines. The process of gold and silver interlacing came into being around the mid-Spring and Autumn Period. Its technological process is to cast shallow decorative patterns or inscriptions on the surface of bronzes. If it is a particularly fine decorative pattern, it is to draw a decorative pattern on the bronze surface with an ink pen, chisel a shallow groove with a hard tool according to the decorative pattern, then embed a thin gold and silver piece or metal wire in the shallow groove, and then polish it to make the embedded gold and silver piece and bronze surface smooth. Finally, the bronze surface is further polished with charcoal and water to make it smooth. In the early days, this technology paid more attention to inscriptions, and the inscription on "Luan Shu" bronze ware was the product of this technology when it first emerged.
Then look at its calligraphy value. Some experts believe that the inscription lines are smart, graceful and charming, which is similar to the book style of Chu State. Some experts also believe that lines are well-proportioned and refined, and strokes are mostly composed of arcs, which shows both subtlety and tenacious strength. The beginning and end of strokes are mostly thin strokes, and the changes of strokes can be seen vaguely in the operation, showing the intention of writing with a brush, which is very close to Hou Shu's words unearthed in Shanxi, showing the obvious regional style of the words.
The research of "Luan Shu" bronze hammer continues. Again, discussion is to leave the content and conclusion to experts and time, and we just need to observe and appreciate it quietly, whether it is its production process or calligraphy.
I learned about National Museum, Palace Museum, Yuanmingyuan and Summer Palace while thinking and writing. I don't know that there have been hundreds of articles, and many passers-by have given me a lot of guidance. I'm here to thank you. I look forward to your attention and encouragement, as well as your guidance and guidance, so that I can make greater progress and inherit the traditional culture of China.