青铜器

中国青铜时代约始于公元前二十一世纪，公元前十三至前十一世纪为鼎盛阶段，它跨越了中国历史上最早的夏商周三代、延续了近两千年。当时，青铜作为贵重的合金，主要被制成礼仪用器，多用在祭祀祖先神灵、宴请嘉宾贵客、举行隆重典礼等盛大场合。青铜器使用的种类众多、造型繁复、纹饰精美、铸造技术高超；分布范围主要集中在黄河和长江中下游地区，此外，还涵盖了许多边远少数民族活动区域。中国古代的青铜艺术始中华民族最为光辉灿烂的文化遗产之一。

CHINESE BRONZES

The Bronze Age in China started in 21st century BC and lasted about 2000 years though Xia, Shang, Zhou dynasties. The Bronzes, as a precious metal ware, were mainly used for ceremonial purposes by the upper class at that time. The variety and quantity of the bronzes that be used in an occasion could be a reflection of the owner’s social status and power. It was high-technically cast in great varieties of category, sophisticated shapes and beautiful designs, and distributed in the middle and lower reaches both of the Yellow and Changjiang rivers and some remote border areas. The ancient Chinese bronze technology is one of the most important achievements of Chinese civilization.