In the Bronze Age, the craftsmanship of bronze instruments best reflects the level and characteristics of the development of material culture. Bronze musical instruments were the important material carriers of ancient ritual and music culture, serving the ritual and music culture. These bronze objects were delicately made, beautifully modeled, with a wide variety of unique styles. The Bronze Age refers to the era when the human society has invented and made bronzes, which were utilized in the field of production and life, and made a great change in the whole social outlook. All material and spiritual cultures of the Bronze Age can be called Bronze Culture. Narrowly speaking, the culture involved in bronze craftsmanship and bronze products is called bronze culture. The Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties in China were the glorious period of bronze culture. The bronze objects of the Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties are the treasures of China's ancient culture, the treasures of China's ancient metal art, and the precious relics for the study of ancient society.
There are more kinds of bronze musical instruments, the earliest one is no better than the bronze bell around 4,000 years ago. Others, such as cymbals, bells, bells, drums, and prochs (chún), became popular only in the late Shang Dynasty.
By type, pre-Qin musical instruments were divided into eight shi: "gold, stone, earth, leather, silk, wood, Lagenaria (páo), bamboo" and so on. Bronze musical instruments can be roughly divided into bells, cymbals, gongs, gongs, hooks (diào), dor, Bo, bells, procs and drums and other nine categories.
The bell, the earliest bronze musical instrument in China, was unearthed in the late Xia dynasty, and is a small, thin-walled instrument with a half-ring-shaped knob at the top, a single-winged bell. In addition there are car bells, the bell, dog bells and so on. Copper bell is the earliest tongued bronze musical instrument in China. In Luoyang Yanshi Erlitou summer culture site investigation and excavation, there have been four copper bell unearthed. Unearthed bronze bells are bronze casting, body shape is smaller, thinner wall, the bell body on the narrow bottom wide, cross-section for the huwa shaped bell body, one side of the casement prongs, the dance surface for the plane, there is no bridge-shaped knob on. These copper bells unearthed, the bell body are several layers of fabric wrapped, bell tongue for jade, well-preserved, some are still placed in the copper bell cavity. Bell, tongue gold and jade matching, visible at that time for the extremely valuable items. In the same period, Shanxi xiangfen pottery temple site unearthed a case of our country so far archaeological discovery of the earliest red copper casting on the copper bell, the bell body for the diamond, the top of the drilling has a hanging tongue hole, the inner wall thickness is not uniform, the body surface is accompanied by a very clear traces of textile pattern. In the summer culture began to appear in the early bronze musical instruments, Erlitou bronze bell of the huwa-shaped bell body inherited the ancient musical instruments in the central plains of the pottery bell of the ellipsoidal body, as China's huwa shaped bronze bell form of the first source, it laid the foundation of the Shangzhou bronze musical instruments modeling, become the epoch-making significance of the history of the art of the new achievements.
LuoYang area Shang, Zhou tombs have many copper bells unearthed. 1990 in Sanmenxia Guo cemetery at the same time in the excavation of fourteen pieces of copper bells, this group of late Western Zhou bronze bells in the same shape, size slightly different, the body section is a hingwa shape, thin on the bottom thick, flat dance on the semi-ring-shaped knob, knob under a small perforation and bell cavity through, cavity with mallet-shaped bell tongue. Because it has not been measured, so it can not yet be determined whether it is a set of braided bells. This period of the Luoyang area unearthed in spite of the different posture of the bell, but the bell body are flat cylindrical, mouth outwardly, the top of the half-ring knob, cavity with mallet-shaped bell tongue, are still maintained in the summer two LiTou copper bells of the basic form and features.
Cymbals, percussion instruments, popular in the late Shang Dynasty, the shape of the bell and slightly larger, its mouth facing down, above the long canopies, canopies set on the wooden base, playing, with a wooden hammer on the mouth of the middle part of the instrument. Can be divided into two kinds, one is independent, the instrument is larger, some weighing more than one hundred and fifty kilograms; the other has five or three pieces of different sizes, representing different scales of cymbals constitute a braided cymbal. Mouth upward in a concave arc, body cross-section is broad-leaved, sharp corners on both sides, the bottom of a hollow round tube-like short handle, and the body cavity, the handle can be placed in the wood section. Mainly used for rituals and banquets, Yinxu Women's Tomb had unearthed five handles into a combination of cymbals, which is the highest number of cymbal combinations found so far. Cymbals, as China's earliest bronze musical instruments, Xia Erlitou bronze bells for the development of bronze musical instruments for the Shang Dynasty, Zhou Dynasty laid a solid foundation. In China's bronze culture in the great development of the Shang Dynasty, bronze musical instruments greatly increased, appeared cymbals, gongs, drums and other different types. One of the most epoch-making significance is the emergence of bronze cymbals in the Shang Dynasty. Archaeological data show that the "Shang cymbal" of the basic shape like a bell, but there is a cylindrical empty canon connected to the body cavity, the use of the cymbal mouth upwards, the empty canon planted on the wooden frame, the bronze cymbal has been a mature period of development of the early bronze bell-like musical instruments products. It not only established the structure of the huwa shape, the emergence of a series of groups of cymbals, but also laid the foundation of the bronze music bell "a bell and two tones", to become specialized in music, with a fixed pitch. Able to play six or even a complete seven-tone scale with melodic performance of bronze musical instruments. Bronze cymbals for the late Shang dynasty popular royal heavy, is the court in the status of the ceremonial instrument. Shang cymbals are mostly concentrated in the Yin ruins, often with the size of three for a group of cymbals, the famous Anyang women's tomb unearthed a group of five cymbals that is the earliest age, the largest number of pieces, the most reliable example of the generation. After the Shang Dynasty, outside the Yinxu area, the appearance of cymbals are relatively rare. Luoyang currently seen for the Luoyang Lin school bronze cymbals found in the early Western Zhou Dynasty horse pit tombs in three pieces of bronze cymbals, the same shape, slightly different sizes, should be a group of cymbals. The cymbal body for the Huea-shaped, broad-leaved cross-section, the two sides from top to bottom slanting closed, the corner of the slightly pointed, each side of the 13 degrees of inclination, the bottom of the device in the center of a short tube-like handle and the inner cavity, the handle end of a bit of thickening of the hoops, tubular handle is still rotting wood, when the remnants of the way for the planting of the game. Compared with the commercial cymbals unearthed in Anyang. This group of copper cymbals is slightly larger in shape, the body of the fine convex ribs composed of the box pattern has also been different from the Yinxu period of animal face pattern. In the appreciation of the world-famous Zenghouyi chimes of the Warring States period, people are amazed and exclaimed: melodious melody, wonderful music, is actually from the buried two dry four hundred years of bronze musical instruments, marvelous! However, even more amazing there is another bronze musical instrument unearthed in Anhui - the Shang Dynasty animal face pattern cymbals, it is buried deep underground for more than three thousand years without erosion, so far still able to send out a clear and pleasant sound, beautiful tone. "It is really a rare treasure of China's ancient culture and art," the experts praised. It is said that the bell may have evolved from the cymbals of the Shang Dynasty. The picture of this animal face cloud cymbal, is the spring of 1973 in Lujiang County, Anhui Mud River District farmers in the dry riverbed digging soil to build a vegetable garden found. Remote rural areas, cultural relics awareness is weak, the farmers did not abandon, just because this piece of "broken" copper heavier, think of sending scrap yards can change a few money, carried back. The end of the decade of turmoil, Anhui Province in the province to carry out a census of scattered cultural relics, fortunate to save its life.
Commercial bronze musical instrument animal face pattern cymbal, the cymbal height 49.5 cm, handle length 19.4 cm, cymbal mouth between 37.6 cm, weighing 31.8 kilograms. The body of the cymbal is large and small, and the cross-section is olive-shaped. The handle of the cymbal is hollow and passes through the body of the cymbal. The surface of the cymbal body is decorated with relief animal-face pattern, the pattern is thick and prominent, and with fine lines outlining the scrolling cloud pattern, but also in the gap between the animal-face pattern lined with small scrolling cloud pattern, thus forming a thick and thin form of different triple decorations, rich in three-dimensional sense. The cymbal handle and mouth are all decorated with deformed animal face pattern, fine lines, beautiful and clear, while the cymbal inside and outside the casting defects rarely appear. Precision of the shape, to ensure the accuracy of the sound, which in the present technical conditions is not easy to do. The whole cymbal system is made neat, simple and bright decorations, this practice is very different from the contemporaneous style of the Central Plains, a strong local color, experts believe that Lujiang County, Anhui Province, unearthed the animal face cymbal (unearthed at the same time, two), when the Yue style of the device. Because like this pattern to avoid complexity and simplicity of the large cymbals out of Jiangnan, such as Hunan south of the Yangtze River and Fujian, Zhejiang, Jiangsu and other regions have been found, but this one was found in the north of Anhui Jiangbei region, it is rare. Cymbals and bells, are ancient rituals or banquets with mallets struck by bronze instruments, their appearance is very similar, the bell body is long and thin, the cymbal body is short and wide; bell mouth arc concave than the cymbal; cymbal sound low, and the aftermath of the sound longer; bells perforated knobs at the top of the bells, hanging in the performance of the special rack, the bell mouth is facing down. The top of the cymbal is a short handle, and hollow can An wooden handle, handheld wooden handle when playing, cymbal mouth up, oversized cymbals to be inserted in the cymbal seat when playing; bells in order of size into groups called chimes, cymbals are generally large, medium and small three pieces for a group. Lujiang County unearthed at the same time the two pieces of animal face cloud cymbals, may be a group of three pieces of two pieces. These two large cymbals belong to the national level of cultural relics, now hidden in the Anhui Provincial Museum. They are important for the study of the scope of activities of the ancient Yue ethnic group and cultural exchanges with other ancient peoples.
The bell, a percussion instrument in which the cymbals are inverted and hung up to be played to get a clearer sound, is a bell. Used in rituals or banquets, into a braided suspension, with mallets to strike the drum part of the musical bell and the bird pattern on the right side of the drum, can produce two audio. There are two forms of bronze bells: the Yong bell and the Bo button bell, and each part of the bell has a specialized name. Chimes first appeared in the early Western Zhou Dynasty in sets of three. Later on, the number of pieces of chimes gradually increased, and they were able to play complex musical compositions. When hung up, the chimes were tilted back and forth. While bronze drums are rare around the Central Plains, a large number of bronze drums in the Southwest are from the Qin and Han Dynasties onward, but with extremely strong regional colors.
The important change of bronze musical instruments in the two-week period is the appearance of a large number of Yongzhong. For example, in Luoyang Xigongdong Zhou Wangcheng site Zhou tomb unearthed in the Western Zhou braided canonical bell set of four. Luoyang city east Taicang ancient tomb unearthed warring states horde (biāo) qiang bell fourteen pieces, Sanmenxia Guo Ji tomb unearthed early spring and autumn braided canonical bell a set of eight pieces, GuoZhong tomb unearthed early spring and autumn braided canonical bell a set of eight pieces, shaanxian HouChuan warring states tomb unearthed a set of twenty pieces of braided canonical bell. These typical bronze musical bells of the Central Plains, from the signs of the Shang cymbal in the Yong Zhong Hwa shaped bell body to show more fully and clearly. Compared with the Shang cymbals, the Yong bells are more standardized and mature in form. In addition to the more distinct layout of each part, the Yong bells made a significant breakthrough as musical instruments. One of the most important features is the change in the canal system. These bells have a tapered cylindrical shape with a thin top and a thick bottom, and are equipped with a rotating and mediating mechanism, which gives them a solid structure for hanging and playing. Another important feature is that these bells are set up in the gong section of the bell, "Mei", which are usually arranged symmetrically, six groups per side, three per group, front and back *** thirty-six. As a result of the role of the enumeration, so that the sound of the Yong bell, tone than no enumeration of the commercial cymbals have been greatly improved. The third important feature is the Yong bell in the music, sound performance of "a bell two sound" outstanding performance. Most of the unearthed bells in Luoyang for the same shape, size and second, eight pieces of a set of braided bells, compared to the Shang cymbals, the early braided bells three pieces of a set of combinations has expanded a lot, and very clearly have the second tone. Several sets of bells, such as those from Xigong, Luoyang, and those from Guo Ji's and Guo Zhong's tombs in Sanmenxia, are two-tone bells, with one of the tones in the center of the drum and the other on the side of the drum. These bells have a phoenix and bird pattern cast on the right drum part of the bell body, which is the mark of the striking point of the side drum tone, and this mark starts from the third bell. The first two bells in accordance with the general practice of this period of the Yongzhong only single tone, so such as Luoyang Xigong unearthed four pieces of a group of Yongzhong according to this inference is missing. And such as shaanxi county after the river twenty pieces of a group of braided bell, the wall is thin, seems to be the Ming ware, but by measuring the sound data can be known as the smallest eight bells are double tone bell. Luoyang unearthed these two-tone clocks and watches are now the interval relationship, from the sound data can be seen in the small two degrees, large two degrees, small three degrees, large three degrees and pure four degrees, compared to the Shang cymbal has been a great progress. The tuning method also y shows this progress. Such as Sanmenxia Guo Cemetery tomb 2001 unearthed Guo Ji Yong Zhong eight bells are tuned, tuning part of the bell mouth lip, some filed into grooves, individual filing heavier. Such as the third bell on filing grooves eight, including two milling each one, positive and negative sides of three, tuning position and its symmetry and balance of the design, has been more standardized. Its sound data prove that each bell can send out two keynote, this performance in the tuning method of maturity undoubtedly shows that this period of the Yong bell in the grasp of the pitch and the exploration and pursuit of the sound rhythm. In addition, the pattern of the bells unearthed in Luoyang during this period has also changed. Such as the emergence of stealing curved pattern, kui dragons, cloud thunder pattern, elephant head pattern, coiled chi dragon pattern, etc., especially the Sanmenxia Guo Ji tomb braided bell, Luoyang cloud thunder pattern bell bell bell gong, drums are also cast with inscriptions, focused on the performance and with the characteristics of the bell of this period.
In addition to the bell, there are two important types of bronze musical instruments Bo and button bell. Bo bell as early as the end of the Yin and Shang Dynasty has appeared, excavated in Luoyang, Luoyang Jiefang Road, a group of four Bo, Shaanxian Houchuan tomb 2040, a group of nine pieces of Bo are Bo bell of the Warring States period. According to the sound data, the liberation road spade sound quality is better, Houchuan 2040 tomb spade in addition to the ninth bell without side drum sound, the other are PeiYin bell. The two examples of the bell body for the huiwa shape, casting mouth flush, the dance on the double dragon or double serpent opposing the composition of the flat knob, gong part of the round short, the whole form is similar to the bell. This period of the Bo bell has gradually developed into an instrument with melodic performance comparable to the chimes, and its original harmonic performance of only playing the backbone of the bass is also greatly enhanced by the increase in the number of Bo and the expansion of the sound range.
Button bells appeared later than the Bo and Yong bells. 1956 Shanxian Shangcunling Guo Prince Tomb unearthed a group of early Spring and Autumn period without a knob bell, is the earliest known case of knob bells, for the Central Plains type of representative. This group of bells for the body for the Hetua shape, flat dance, flat belly, milling, in the mouth slightly concave, set on the dance with a long round bar-shaped knob. The biggest difference compared with the Yong bell is to change the Yong bell side hanging Yong. Knob instead of the Yong, so that the bell from the side hanging to straight hanging, which can be more to maintain the stability of the bell, improve and improve the sound quality of the performance. It can be seen that the button bell not only inherited the system of the Yong bell, but also absorbed the bell or Bo's button system, and thus from the overall form typically shows the combination of the bell body of the Yong bell with the Bo and bell's button system. Another example is Sanmenxia Guo Guo base Guo Zhong tomb in addition to unearthed a set of canonical bells, the same tomb also unearthed a group of early Spring and Autumn period knob bells, bells for the Hetua shape, dance on the square ring button, knob is shorter, gane no enumeration, the right side of the drum, except for the first bell are decorated with birds, gane and the left side of the drum is cast with the inscription, the inscription contained in the "Guo Zhong for the treasure bells ... ... ..." and so on, and named themselves as bells. This further confirms the relationship between the button bell and the Yong bell and bell.
Most of the knob bells unearthed in Luoyang are seven to nine pieces, such as nine pieces of knob bells in the tomb of Guo Prince, eight pieces of knob bells in the tomb of Guo Zhong, two sets of knob bells unearthed in the same tomb of No. 131 in Xigong, Luoyang, are seven and nine pieces, and the eighteen pieces of knob bells in the tomb of the Warring States on Jiefang Road, Luoyang, are seven pieces of knob bells and eleven pieces of knob bells without knob bells in the two groups. Button bells in this period not only tended to stabilize and mature in form, but also due to the richness and soundness of the sequence of groups, resulting in the musical performance of the instrument is more perfect. According to the sound measurement data, several groups of knob bells, such as the tomb of Prince Guo, the tomb of Guozhong, and the tomb of the Warring States on Jiefang Road, can form a complete seven-tone scale with side drum tones, as well as changes in the tones other than the seven tones, and already have strong melodic performance.
In the same vein with the bells, the Bo bells and the knob bells got greater development in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. Originating from the new pursuit of musical aesthetics and the importance of the melody of the chimes, as well as the ritual and music system, economic expenditure and other factors, smaller than the Yong bells of the knob bells and small bronze spades became popular and gradually replaced the Yong bells.
Gane, percussion instrument, shape like cymbals, but taller and heavier than cymbals, mainly unearthed in hunan, jiangsu and zhejiang area. Kane is the Spring and Autumn period of musical instruments, in the southern Baiyue places are very popular. With the Shang cymbal shape is closest to the gong, in 1956 the Sanmenxia on the village ridge Guo Prince Yuan tomb unearthed a case of early spring and autumn period of the gong, is now known to the earliest age of the gong, the gong body shape for the huawa shape, dance flat, flat belly, inside the curved, round tube handle closed at both ends, the upper front and rear of the two sides of the face to wear a round hole, the whole body surface decorated with symmetrical two stacks of yin line large cloud pattern. 1990 Sanmenxia on the village ridge Guo Ji tomb, Guo Zhong tomb also unearthed each Early Spring and Autumn bronze gong a. According to the literature and archaeological data, gongs were mostly used as military instruments, but they were also used for rituals and banquets. Shangcunling Guo Cemetery of three cases of copper gongs, unearthed with the tomb *** ** existed with a hanging musical instruments, so it can also be proved that these gongs and belong to the military, music and dual-use musical instruments. After the Shangcunling copper gongs, the era of the later copper gongs, in the north and south of the vast area has a different development, the formation of two types of different styles, different styles of the system, but have not been detached from the Guo Prince Tomb of copper gongs of the basic form.
Hooked bells, percussion instruments, popular in ancient times in the Wu-Yue region. Shape and chimes are somewhat similar, generally a set of several pieces. "Choose its ancient gold casting hooks of the quail, in order to enjoy the filial piety" of the inscription, indicating that this is the ancient rituals and banquets with musical instruments. It resembles a dor, and is struck with a mallet when used with the mouth facing upwards. Prevalent in the Spring and Autumn period in the south of Wu, Yue and other countries. The South Vietnam King Museum in Guangzhou has a set of bronze hooks from the Western Han Dynasty in its collection.
Duo, percussion instrument, the shape of the cymbal and small, in the tongue, vibration tongue pronunciation, according to the literature, duo can be used for military and hunting.
Hooks, also known as sentence, percussion instruments, the shape of the body like cymbals and long, oval cross-section, longitudinal length is slightly larger than the horizontal scale, thicker walls, mouth upward, a very shallow concave arc mouth, the bottom of the handle, or as a flat, or cylindrical.
Proch, a percussion instrument used in rituals and assemblies, is large, with a ring or tiger knob, rounded shoulders, and a cylindrical bottom. The bronze copper drum was first seen in the Spring and Autumn period, and flourished in the Warring States period and the early Western Han period. It was distributed mainly in the Yangtze River basin and in southern and southwestern China.
Drums, a percussion instrument, are rarely found in bronze, and are shaped like a horizontal cylinder, with a cushion-shaped seat for the insertion of pole ornaments, and a rectangular footrim; the bronze drums seen so far date from the late Shang dynasty.
Bronze musical instruments, according to the use can be divided into two categories: rituals, banquets, that is, in the holding of ceremonies used or used in the army. From the extant gong inscription "to music father and brother. A feast for guests" "Yu to perform my teacher, Yu to the old our disciples, Yu to cut off" is proof.
Bronze musical instruments is the most representative of the summer, business and Zhou dynasty music culture, but also the most important historical remains. Luoyang area of pre-Qin three generations of bronze musical instruments unearthed due to the political, economic and cultural ideology at the time of the core, and therefore has a more important significance.