The bronze age in China involves three dynastic periods: the Xia (c.2205-c.1766BC), the Shang (1766-1045BC), and the Zhou (1045-256BC), whose capitals were variously situated in Henan and Shaanxi provinces, an area straddling the middle reaches of the Yellow River which is considered the cradle of Chinese civilisation. 

Small bronze objects such as blades and mirrors have been discovered in China at various Neolithic sites from Gansu to Shandong, but China’s Bronze Age really begins around the transition between the 3^rd and the 2^nd millennium BC, coincident with the dates of the Xia dynasty as given by Zhou sources. The Erlitou site situated in central Henan, whose earliest occupation strata containing foundations for large palace buildings dates from about 2080BC, provides the archaeological evidence for this period. Axes and spearheads cast from two-piece stone moulds and fine ornamental plaques inlaid with turquoise mosaic have been discovered from this era. Around the 17^th century BC, coincident with the rise of the Shang dynasty, bronze ritual vessels of complex form make their first appearance, apparently manufactured from multi-part ceramic moulds.

While evidence exists for early knowledge of the Lost Wax process, this is not made use of on any scale until the multi-layered openwork bronzes of the Henan “Picturesque” style rendered this absolutely necessary during the Warring States period (481-221BC). Up until then, increasingly intricate and complex multi-part ceramic moulds sufficed to produce stunning bronzes which were unmatched anywhere in the ancient world.

The appearance of bronze technology was accompanied by a mature agricultural society associated with urban settlements, a sophisticated hierarchical structure, animist beliefs, human sacrifice, and an early form of written language.

During the Shang dynasty, ritual water, food, and wine vessels were cast in bronze for use in sacrificial ceremonies directed at the spirits and ancestors in order to ensure the well being of the realm. These vessels were interred in large numbers in aristocratic burials according to strict protocol; for example, during the Western Zhou, the king was entitled to nine Ding (tripods), a feudal lord to seven, a senior officer to five, and common officers to three or one. The tomb of Fu Hao (c.1200BC), consort of King Wu Ding of the Shang, contained more than two hundred bronze vessels.

Vessels were cast by sons to honor parents and ancestors, by kings and lords to give to subordinates, and, during the Zhou dynasty, they were cast to commemorate victories, treaties, official positions, and state events.

The earliest Shang bronze vessels were thin-walled and undecorated; their forms, such as the Jue and Jia tripod wine vessels, appear to be derived from the black pottery of the Longshan culture. Later vessels were thicker, with bands of thread relief decoration. During the mid Shang period, decorative motifs become more complex, and were cast against a background of small spirals known as “Leiwen”.  Late Shang bronzes are baroque in character, with Taotie “monster” masks in high relief, and prominent flanges disguising the joints between the different pieces of the mould. Animal iconography becomes pronounced and flamboyant, with vessels spouting animal heads or cast entirely in animal form.

Upon the conquest of the Shang by the Zhou tribes, some vessel forms disappear. New decorative motifs are developed, such as the bird with an up-curving tail. The practice of casting onto ritual vessels long dedicatory inscriptions of up to four hundred characters or more becomes popular during this period. The technical standard of bronze casting gradually deteriorates until the renaissance of the Warring States period when competition between rival states sponsors a flowering of philosophical debate as well as artistic and technological innovation. Ritual bronzes are gradually superceded by vessels that serve as pure luxury items, accompanied by the development of exquisite inlay techniques and conscious elegance in line and form. This passion for ostentation also results in a pinnacle of achievement in jade carving and lacquer-ware during this period.

While the historical mantle of legitimacy was passed from dynasty to dynasty and from tribe to tribe in the central plains, it should not be imagined that China consisted of a homogenous culture during the Bronze Age. Excavations at Sanxingdui in Sichuan province have uncovered a wholly different culture versed in bronze technology during the Shang period who were obviously in contact with, but separate from the northern Shang culture. The art and beliefs of the Chu state in the Yangtse River valley during the Warring States period was also notably different from that of the central plains, and considered by the latter as rather barbaric.

With the unification of the empire under the Qin dynasty (221-206BC), bronze-making declines, and although stunning examples of the bronze-maker’s craft, such as those found in the tomb of the Princess Dou Wan, persist during the Han dynasty (206BC-220AD), the glories of China’s Bronze Age are at an end.