The Shanghai Museum became a must-go landmark for its international standing and its key role in the display of our nation’s cultural heritage.In recent years,over 1 million people visit the Shanghai Museum every year and about half of them are foreigners.We are obliged to make the appreciation of the valuable collections possible to the great number of people from china and all over the world.In order to promote universal understanding of our collections and the culture behind them,we have been

Initial Stage
Bronze, an alloy of copper, till and lead, can be used to fashion ritualvessels, tools and weapons. The arrival of bronze heralded a new age inthe history of China. The era of the Shang and the Zhou dynasties isgenerally known as the Bronze Age of China.
Eriitou Culture marks the beginning of Chinese bronze casting, whichdated from 5,000 years ago. The range of types of vessel cast was quitebroad, including containers, musical instruments, weapons, tools andpersonal ornaments. Ruins of foundries were also found at the site.In China, as in other societies, rituals carried a very important socialfunction in generating social cohesion and in ruling the state. Ritualbronzes of this period were thin-walled and cast by mature techniques.
Developing Stage
During the early and middle Shang Dynasty (16th-13th century B.C.),bronze casting became a major state industry. Ritual vessels producedthen were mainly wine containers. A feature common to this period'sbronzes was their relatively thin walls. Decoration trended towards morebold and complex, and the most popular motif was the animal-mask. Themold-making process became sophisticated and an ingenious techniquewas developed for casting a complicated shape in a sequence of separatepouring of metal. The progress laid a solid foundation for the comingzenith of the bronze art.











Founded in 1952, the Shanghai Museum holds for China and the world agrand collection of history, art and antiquities from ancient and livingcultures. The Shanghai Museum was allocated to the current site People'sAvenue 201 by the Shanghai Municipal Government in 1993 and reopenedto the public in 1996. Erected at the center of the People's Square,the Shanghai Museum, together with the Shanghai Grand Theatre, theCity Hall, and the Shanghai City Planning Museum, makes an impressiveskyline of the metropolis and contributes to its cultural and economiclife.
Designed in a round-cover-and-square-body style, its building embodiesthe traditional Chinese concept of "the heaven is round and the earth issquare". With an area of 39,200 square meters and a height of 29.5 meters,the Shanghai Museum has 10 permanent galleries and 3 temporary exhibitionhalls. Since its foundation, the Shanghai Museum has been committingto conserving, protecting, restoring, authenticating and developingChina's national culture and art treasures. Its collection continues togrow and now houses over one million works, among which 120,000 areof high value. Through five thousand years of ancient China's brilliantcivilization, its magnificent works cover about 21 types, including bronzes,ceramics, calligraphy, painting, jade, ivories, bamboo and wood wares,lacquered wares, oracle bones, seals, coins, furniture, etc. Its bronzes,ceramics, painting and calligraphy collections are among the most comprehensiveand finest in the world. One of the latest and the most notableadditions to its collection is the Chunhua Ge Tie (a calligraphy robbingcollection) purchased in 2003.

Ancient Chinese Bronze Gallery
A History of Ancient Chinese Bronze
Initial Stage(3),Developing Stage (3),Zenith Stage(3),Transition Sage(4),Renewal Stage(4)
Classifications of Bronzes
Food Vessels
Cooking Vessels:Ding (6), Li (6), Yan (6)
Food Containers:Gui (6), Xu (7). Dui (7), Dou (7)
Wine Vessels
Drinking Vessels:Jue (7). Jia (8). Gu (8), Zhi (8)
Wine Containers:Hu (8), You (9). Zun (9), Lei (9),
Ling (9), Pou (9), Gong (10),
Square Yi (10)
Wuter Vessels: Pan (10), He (10), Yi (11), Jian (11)
Musical hzstruments: Nao (11), Zhong (11), Drum (12)
Weapons and Others: Yue (12), Jian (12), Sheng (12),
Btvnze Pillow (13),
Cowrie Container (13),
Btvnze Mirror (13)
Decorations on the Bronze
Animal Musk Design (14),Dragon Desitcn (14),
PhoenLr Design (14), Animal Design (15),
Metamorphosed Animal Design (15),
Geometric Design (15), Puinting Design (16)
Casting Techniques
Piece-mold Method (17), Lost-wax Methnd(18)
Dcrcrativc Craft, manship
Ancient Chinese Sculpture Gallery
A History of Ancient Chinese Sculpture
Buddha Figure Sculptures
Ancient Chinese Ceramics Gallery
A History of Chinese Ceramics
Famous Kilns in Ancient Times
Major Types of Ceramics
Ancient Chinese Painting Gallery
A History of Ancient Chinese Painting
Major Types of Traditional Chinese Painting
Ancient Chinese Calligraphy Gallery
A History of Chinese Calligraphy
Major Types of Chinese Calligraphy
Ancient Chinese Seal Gallery
A History of Ancient Chinese Seals
Chinese Ming and Qing Furniture Gallery
Chinese Ming and Qing Furniture
Ancient Chinese Jades Gallery
A History of Ancient Chinese Jades
Chinese Minority Nationalities' Art Gallery
Craft of Chinese Minority Nationalities
Ancient Chinese Coins Gallery
A History of Ancient Chinese Coins
Appendix Ⅰ:Articles Included
Appendix Ⅱ:Table of Chinese Dynasties

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