Decorated models, Replication, and Assembly lines for Bronze industrial production in 500 B.C.E. China

Kin Sum Sammy Li; Quanyu Wang; J. Keith Wilson; Fan Jeremy Zhang; Jody Ho Yee Cheung; Tsz Hin Chun; Sum Lam; Mingyong Pang; Haoran Xie; Mingqiang Wei; Kin San Lee

doi:10.1017/eac.2021.9

Decorated models, Replication, and Assembly lines for Bronze industrial production in 500 B.C.E. China

Kin Sum Sammy Li^*, Quanyu Wang, J. Keith Wilson, Fan Jeremy Zhang, Jody Ho Yee Cheung, Tsz Hin Chun, Sum Lam, Mingyong Pang, Haoran Xie, Mingqiang Wei, Kin San Lee

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of History

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

This article examines the earliest examples of replication of bronze objects of complicated structure in China. It uses four quadrupeds from the Freer Gallery (National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution), the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, the British Museum, and the Yūrinkan Museum in Kyōto as examples to illustrate the complex technology required in replicating bronzes. It provides evidence to define identical bronzes and proves that the four quadrupeds shared the same decorated model. The application of section-mold casting, spacers, clay cores, and mold section assemblage will be examined using 3D scanning, X-ray photography, computerized tomography (CT) scanning, and alloy composition analysis.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	109-142
Number of pages	34
Journal	Early China
Volume	44
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/eac.2021.9
Publication status	Published - Sept 2021

Scopus Subject Areas

Archaeology
History
Archaeology
Religious studies
Philosophy
Literature and Literary Theory

User-Defined Keywords

Assembly line
Decorated model
Houma
Identical bronze
Industrial production

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10.1017/eac.2021.9

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title = "Decorated models, Replication, and Assembly lines for Bronze industrial production in 500 B.C.E. China",

abstract = "This article examines the earliest examples of replication of bronze objects of complicated structure in China. It uses four quadrupeds from the Freer Gallery (National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution), the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, the British Museum, and the Yūrinkan Museum in Kyōto as examples to illustrate the complex technology required in replicating bronzes. It provides evidence to define identical bronzes and proves that the four quadrupeds shared the same decorated model. The application of section-mold casting, spacers, clay cores, and mold section assemblage will be examined using 3D scanning, X-ray photography, computerized tomography (CT) scanning, and alloy composition analysis. ",

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author = "Li, {Kin Sum Sammy} and Quanyu Wang and Wilson, {J. Keith} and Zhang, {Fan Jeremy} and Cheung, {Jody Ho Yee} and Chun, {Tsz Hin} and Sum Lam and Mingyong Pang and Haoran Xie and Mingqiang Wei and Lee, {Kin San}",

note = "Funding Information: The work described in this paper was partially supported by grants from the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), China (Project No. HKBU 12604017, 12625716, 14600118, and 22601019); the Quality Education Fund, Government of the HKSAR (no. 2018/1337); and the HKBU Equipment Matching Fund (RC-EMF 07/17–18); Sammy Li is the principal investigator of all of these projects. Publisher Copyright: Copyright {\textcopyright} The Society for the Study of Early China and Cambridge University Press 2021.",

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doi = "10.1017/eac.2021.9",

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volume = "44",

pages = "109--142",

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AU - Cheung, Jody Ho Yee

AU - Chun, Tsz Hin

AU - Lam, Sum

AU - Pang, Mingyong

AU - Xie, Haoran

AU - Wei, Mingqiang

AU - Lee, Kin San

N1 - Funding Information: The work described in this paper was partially supported by grants from the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), China (Project No. HKBU 12604017, 12625716, 14600118, and 22601019); the Quality Education Fund, Government of the HKSAR (no. 2018/1337); and the HKBU Equipment Matching Fund (RC-EMF 07/17–18); Sammy Li is the principal investigator of all of these projects. Publisher Copyright: Copyright © The Society for the Study of Early China and Cambridge University Press 2021.

PY - 2021/9

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N2 - This article examines the earliest examples of replication of bronze objects of complicated structure in China. It uses four quadrupeds from the Freer Gallery (National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution), the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, the British Museum, and the Yūrinkan Museum in Kyōto as examples to illustrate the complex technology required in replicating bronzes. It provides evidence to define identical bronzes and proves that the four quadrupeds shared the same decorated model. The application of section-mold casting, spacers, clay cores, and mold section assemblage will be examined using 3D scanning, X-ray photography, computerized tomography (CT) scanning, and alloy composition analysis.

AB - This article examines the earliest examples of replication of bronze objects of complicated structure in China. It uses four quadrupeds from the Freer Gallery (National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution), the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, the British Museum, and the Yūrinkan Museum in Kyōto as examples to illustrate the complex technology required in replicating bronzes. It provides evidence to define identical bronzes and proves that the four quadrupeds shared the same decorated model. The application of section-mold casting, spacers, clay cores, and mold section assemblage will be examined using 3D scanning, X-ray photography, computerized tomography (CT) scanning, and alloy composition analysis.

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Decorated models, Replication, and Assembly lines for Bronze industrial production in 500 B.C.E. China

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