3,000-Year Bronze Vessels

Ehou Four Bronze Vessels are a set of 3,000-year-old ritual bronzes from the late Shang to early Western Zhou Dynasty, unearthed from Tomb No. 4 at Yangzishan, Anju, Suizhou. The set includes one zun (wine vessel), one square lei (storage vessel), and a pair of you (ritual wine vessels) of different sizes. All bear inscriptions: the zun and you read "made as precious ritual vessels," while the square lei states "Ehou (Lord of E) made this precious ritual vessel." Their most striking feature is the divine face patterns—imaginary animal motifs similar to beast faces but with rounded human-like noses and eye sockets, blending human, beast and divine elements to feel approachable yet mysterious. Each vessel has a unique shape: the zun has a wide mouth for easy use, the square lei has a closed mouth with a lid to preserve wine, and the you have carrying beams for holding juchang (ritual fine wine). Adorned with intricate, balanced and symmetrical carvings, the vessels show exceptional bronze craftsmanship. Influenced by the local water and geology, their surfaces have formed magnificent blue rust, blending with the primitive bronze texture to look ethereally mysterious. As a rare non-Ji clan noble burial set (with one zun and two you, a legacy of Shang Dynasty customs), they reflect the cultural transition between Shang and Zhou, and stand as masterpieces of ancient Chinese bronze art. 噩侯四器是一套有 3000 年历史的商代晚期至西周早期青铜礼器，出土于随州安居羊子山 4 号墓。这套器物包括一件尊、一件方罍和一对大小有异的卣。所有器物均有铭文，尊与卣的铭文为 “乍宝彝”，方罍的铭文为 “噩侯乍氒宝尊彝”，意为噩侯制作的珍贵祭祀礼器。其最摄人心魄的是神面纹，这种想象中的动物纹样近似兽面，却有着圆润如人鼻的鼻翼和类人眼的眼睑结构，融合人、兽、神形象，亲和又神秘。各器物形制各具特色：尊敞口便于取用，方罍敛口加盖以贮藏酒液，带提梁的卣专用于盛放秬鬯一类祭祀美酒。纹饰繁复奢华却疏密有致，对称性与均衡性极强，展现高超青铜工艺。受埋藏地独特水质、地质影响，器身形成瑰丽蓝锈，与青铜古朴肌理交融，更显神秘幽美。作为非姬姓贵族墓葬出土的器物，噩侯四器采用一尊二卣的组合，保留殷商遗风，反映商周文化过渡特征，是中国青铜器艺术中的翘楚。