Shang China

Anyang
The last capital of Shang Dynasty. Established 1300 BC, abandoned 1050 BC. As the excavations revealed Anyang was full of burial and ritual constructions and administrative palaces.



The Tomb of Lady Hao
Title: Tomb of Lady Hao
Artist: Unknown
Location(Architecture): Anyang, Henan province, China
Culture of Origin: Shang Dynasty
Medium: N/A
Patron: China
Approximate Date:1300-1050 BC
Description:
The tomb is situated at Anyang. At this point it is the best preserved tomb at Anyang ever excavated. The tomb contains human and dog sacrificials. The tomb's great treasure suggests that Shang dynasty created and maintained vast amounts of great resources. The fact that the Lady Hao's tomb is situated separately from the royal tomb of her husband King Wu Ding suggests that the lady was an outsider and that is confirmed by the objects (horse figures, jade hawk, ) found in the tomb.



Shang dynasty (1750 - 1050 BC). The dynasty considered to be the first proven dynasty in Eastern Europe. The information about the state can be found in the inscriptions on bronze vessels and writing on anymal bones. As was proved the Shang religion was shamanism. The rituals held in Shang were dedicated for ancestors. The tools in that rituals were all decorated with one emblem depicting two-eyed animal known as taotie which is belived to refer to a ruling clan.



Taotie
Title: Taotie
Artist: Unknown
Location(Architecture): Bronze vessels and other
Culture of Origin: Shand Dynasty
Medium: Bronze
Patron: N/A
Approximate Date: 1750 - 1050 BC
Desription:
The very abstract animal depiction. The animal believed to have two eyes, hands, jaw, and other details vary from one version to another. The animal was probably an emblem of the ruling clan of Shang Dynasty.



Fangding
Title: Fanding
Artist: Unknown
Location(Architecture): N/A
Culture of Origin: Shang Dynasty
Medium: Bronze
Patron: Metropolitan Museum of Art
Approximate Date: 1750 - 1050 BC
Description:
A squared-form bronze vessel. Created with simple piece-mould system

Shang Dynasty TERMS:
Tomb of Lady Hao at Anyang - a tomb of one of the wives of King Wu Ding.

Henan Province - a province in north-east China wich contains Anyang, the former capital of Shang dynasty.

Toatie - two-eyed mask on ritual objects

Shandong Province - coastal province in the Eastern China.

Kui - dragon

Yellow River - the second longest river in China originating from center of China and ending in the far east of China.

Cong - Earth symbol

Bi - Heaven symbol

Yangzi River - the first longest river in China originating from center of China and ending in the far east of China

Piece-mold casting - is technique of casting bronze in which ... I know, but I'm too lazy to write it here

Gu - trumpet-shape upper section, restricted center and flattered lower section (beverages)

Jue - a vessel shape in which a vessel is standing on 3 legs, handles which are perpendicular to a narrow spout (beverages)

Ding - 4 or 3 legged vessel with a cap (food)

Fang ding - squared ding (food)

Gui - bronze vessel type of late Shang with the design covering all the vessel, no leggs and round shape.

Oracle bones - bones on which oracles predict the future

Shamanism - is a religion involving communication with a spirit world