Material Culture, Power, and Identity in Ancient China

231 Pages·2017·30.844 MB·English

by  Xiaolong Wu

Material Culture,
Power, and Identity
in Ancient China
Xiaolong Wu
MATERIAL CULTURE, POWER, AND IDENTITY
IN ANCIENT CHINA
Inthisbook,XiaolongWuoffersacomprehensiveandin-depthstudyofthe
Zhongshan state during China’s Warring States Period (476–221 bce).
Analyzing artifacts, inscriptions, and grandiose funerary structures within
a broad archaeological context, he illuminates the connections between
power and identity,and theroleofmaterial cultureinassertingandcom-
municating both. The author brings an interdisciplinary approach to this
study.Hecombinesandcross-examinesallavailablecategoriesofevidence,
including archaeological, textual, art-historical, and epigraphical, enabling
innovative interpretations and conclusions that challenge conventional
views regarding Zhongshan and ethnicity in ancient China. Wu reveals
the complex relationship between material culture, cultural identity, and
statecraft intended by the royal patrons. He demonstrates that the
Zhongshan king Cuo constructed a hybrid cultural identity, consolidated
his power, and aimed to maintain political order at court after his death
throughthebuildings,sculpture,andinscriptionsthathecommissioned.
Xiaolong Wu is Associate Professor of Art History at Hanover College,
Indiana. He received his BA in Chinese archaeology from Beijing
University, and his PhD in art history from University of Pittsburgh. His
research interestfocuses onthe material cultureoflate Bronze AgeChina
anditsinteractionswiththeEurasiansteppe,andissuesrelatedtoethnicity,
hybridity,agency,andpoliticalpower.
MATERIAL CULTURE,
POWER, AND IDENTITY
IN ANCIENT CHINA
XIAOLONG WU
HanoverCollege,Indiana
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www.cambridge.org
Informationonthistitle:www.cambridge.org/9781107134027
10.1017/9781316460177
©XiaolongWu2017
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andtotheprovisionsofrelevantcollectivelicensingagreements,
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permissionofCambridgeUniversityPress.
Firstpublished2017
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To my parents
CONTENTS
ListofFigures pageix
ListofMaps xiii
ListofTables xiv
Acknowledgments xv
INTRODUCTION 1
1 HISTORICAL SETTING AND APPROACHES TO THE
STUDY OF AN ANCIENT STATE IN WARRING STATES
CHINA 12
2 LIFE, DEATH, AND IDENTITY IN ZHONGSHAN:
SORTING OUT THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE 26
3 ROYAL MORTUARY PRACTICE AND ARTIFACTS:
HYBRIDITY, IDENTITY, AND POWER 77
4 INTERSTATE POLITICS AND ARTISTIC INNOVATION
DURING THE REIGN OF KING CUO 134
5 STATECRAFT AND ZHONGSHAN BRONZE
INSCRIPTIONS 149
6 FUNERARY ARCHITECTURE, KINGLY POWER,
AND COURT POLITICS 171
CONCLUSION 180
Appendices 183
Appendix A 183
Appendix B 189
Appendix C 195
Appendix D 198
vii
viii CONTENTS
Appendix E 200
Appendix F 204
Notes 209
Bibliography 228
Index 239
FIGURES
0.1 Thelargestding(XK:1)foundintheweststoragechamber
ofKingCuo’stomb(M1);afterHebeishengWenwuYanjiusuo,
TombofCuo,Plate3. page9
0.2a,b Thebronzesquarehu(XK:15)foundintheweststorage
chamberofCuo’stomb.PhotosbyXiaolongWu. 10
0.3 RoundhuofCi(DK:6)foundintheeaststoragechamber
ofCuo’stomb.PhotobyXiaolongWu. 10
2.1 Tiger-shapedgoldplaquesfromDiaoyutai,TangxianCounty,
HebeiProvince.PhotobyXiaolongWu. 28
2.2 BronzedingvesselfromtombM2atZhongtongcun,Xinle
County,HebeiProvince.PhotobyXiaolongWu. 31
2.3 BronzehuvesselfromBeichengzi,TangxianCounty,Hebei
Province.PhotobyXiaolongWu. 32
2.4 BronzefufromLijiazhuang,XingtangCounty,HebeiProvince.
AfterHebeishengBowuguanandHebeishengWenwuGuanlichu,
Hebeishengchutuwenwuxuanji,Plate160. 32
2.5 ChengboknifecoinsexcavatedfromtheZhongshancapital,
Lingshou.PhotobyXiaolongWu. 38
2.6 CeramiccoinmoldsexcavatedfromtheZhongshancapital,
Lingshou.PhotosbyXiaolongWu. 39
2.7 BronzeshortswordfromM8221attheZhongshancapital,
Lingshou.PhotobyXiaolongWu. 48
2.8 Linedrawingoftheengraveddesignonabronzejianwater
containerdiscoveredintombM8101attheZhongshancapital,
Lingshou.AfterHebeishengWenwuYanjiusuo,“HebeiPingshan
SanjiGuchengdiaochayumuzangfajue,”Figure31. 52
3.1 Dogcollarswithalternatinggoldandsilvertubesexcavatedfrom
the“mixedsacrificialpit”ofCuo’stomb.PhotobyXiaolongWu. 83
3.2 Bronzepushouringhandlefromthemainburialchamber
ofCuo’stomb.PhotobyXiaolongWu. 87
3.3 Silverbelthookwithphoenixdesigningoldinlayfromthemain
burialchamberofCuo’stomb.PhotobyXiaolongWu. 88
3.4 ThesetofbronzebellsfromtheweststoragechamberofCuo’s
tomb.PhotobyXiaolongWu. 88
3.5 Theninebronzeding(includingFigure0.1)fromtheweststorage
chamberofCuo’stomb.PhotosbyXiaolongWu. 90
ix
x LISTOFFIGURES
3.6 BurnishedblackpotteryfromtheweststoragechamberofCuo’s
tomb.PhotosbyXiaolongWu. 92
3.7 Reconstructionofthetentandrelatedartifactsfoundintheeast
storagechamberofCuo’stomb;afterHebeishengWenwu
Yanjiusuo,TombofCuo,Figure125. 95
3.8 Flathuoftheseventhyear(DK:15)fromtheeaststoragechamber
ofCuo’stomb.PhotobyXiaolongWu. 95
3.9 Bronzetable(DK:33)foundintheeaststoragechamberofCuo’s
tomb.PhotobyXiaolongWu. 96
3.10 Detailofadeersupportingthebronzetable(DK:33)foundinthe
eaststoragechamberofCuo’stomb.PhotobyXiaolongWu. 97
3.11 Lacqueredwoodensculptureofadeerfoundinthetombof
MarquisYiofZeng(detail).PhotobyXiaolongWu. 98
3.12 Cylindricalvessel(DK:20)fromtheeaststoragechamberofCuo’s
tomb.PhotobyXiaolongWu. 99
3.13 Oneoftwomythicalanimals(DK:38)fromtheeaststorage
chamberofCuo’stomb.PhotobyXiaolongWu. 99
3.14 Bronzewingedanimalswithsilverinlayfromtheeaststorage
chamberofCuo’stomb.PhotosbyXiaolongWu. 100
3.15 Screenbaseshapedlikeabull(DK:24)fromtheeaststorage
chamberCuo’stomb.PhotobyXiaolongWu. 101
3.16 Screenbaseshapedlikearhinoceros(DK:22)fromtheeaststorage
chamberofCuo’stomb.PhotobyXiaolongWu. 101
3.17 Screenbaseshapedlikeatigerdevouringadeer(DK:23)fromthe
eaststoragechamberofCuo’stomb.PhotosbyXiaolongWu. 102
3.18 Plate/lampwithabaseshapedlikeahumanfigureandananimal
excavatedatFenshuiling,Changzhi,ShanxiProvince;after
ZhongguoQingtongqiQuanjiBianjiWeiyuanhui,Zhongguoqing
tongqiquanji,vol.9,Plate140. 103
3.19 DetailofalacqueredwoodenscreenfromM1atWangshan,
Jiangling,HubeiProvince.PhotobyXiaolongWu. 104
3.20 Beltplaquedepictingatigeranditspreyexcavatedat
Chenyangchuan,XijiCounty,Ningxia.AfterZhongguo
QingtongqiQuanjiBianjiWeiyuanhui,Zhongguoqingtongqiquan
ji,vol.15,Plate98. 104
3.21 BeltplaquedepictingatigereatingadeerfromShihuigou,
YijinhuoluoBanner,InnerMongolia.PhotobyXiaolongWu. 105
3.22 ChariotfittingshapedastheheadofananimalfromGuweicun,
Huixian,HenanProvince.PhotobyXiaolongWu. 106
3.23 Bronzeax(CHMK2:13)fromCuo’stombandrubbingofits
inscription.PhotobyXiaolongWu. 109
3.24 Bronzeshan-character-shapedobjects.PhotosbyXiaolongWu. 110
3.25 Bronzeshafromtomb98LDM1atYuandingshan,LixianCounty,
GansuProvince;afterGansushengKaoguYanjiusuo,andLixian
Bowuguan,“LixianYuandiangshanChuqiuQinmu,”Figure26. 111
LISTOFFIGURES xi
3.26 JadefigurinesfoundinM3attheZhongshancapital,Lingshou.
AfterHebeishengWenwuYanjiusuo,LingshouCityofZhongshan
State,ColorPlate34. 117
3.27 CeramicmoldofafigurinefromHouma,ShanxiProvince.After
ShanxishengKaoguYanjiusuo,Houmazhutongyizhi,Figure101. 118
3.28 StoneChessBoardsfoundinM3atLingshou;afterHebeisheng
WenwuYanjiusuo,LingshouCityofZhongshanState,Color
Plate39. 120
3.29 JadecombsfromtheweststoragechamberofCuo’stomb.Photos
byXiaolongWu. 122
3.30 Ceramictilenail(ornamentaltilefastener)withdoubleraptorheads
fromtheZhongshancapital,Lingshou.PhotobyXiaolongWu. 123
3.31 BronzeringwiththreeattachedsilveranimalfacesfromCuo’s
tomb.PhotobyXiaolongWu. 123
3.32 Goldswordsheathornament(scabbardend)excavatedfromtomb
M30,Xinzhuangtoucemetery,YixianCounty,HebeiProvince.
PhotobyXiaolongWu. 124
3.33 BronzedaggersexcavatedattheMaoqinggouCemetery,
LiangchengCounty,InnerMongolia.AfterZhongguo
QingtongqiQuanjiBianjiWeiyuanhui,Zhongguoqingtongqiquanji,
vol.15,Plate21. 125
3.34 GoldheaddressandcircletfromAluchaideng,HangjinBanner,
InnerMongolia.AfterTianGuangjinandGuoSuxin,E’erduosishi
qingtongqi,p.344. 126
3.35 GoldbuttonfromAlagou,TuokexunCounty,XinjiangUighur
AutonomousRegion.AfterXinjiangShehuiKexueyuanKaogu
Yanjiusuo,“XinjiangAlagouShuxuemuguomufajuejianbao,”
Wenwu,no.1(1981),Plate8. 127
3.36 Glassbead(GSH:199)foundinCuo’stomb.Photoby
XiaolongWu. 129
4.1 Cuo’sbronzeartifactsmadeintheeighthyear(c.320bce).Photos
byXiaolongWu. 136
4.2 Cuo’sbronzeartifactsmadeinthetenthyear(c.318bce).Photo
aafterZhongguoQingtongqiQuanjiBianjiWeiyuanhui,
Zhongguoqingtongqiquanji,vol.9,Plate176.Photosb–fby
XiaolongWu. 137
4.3 Abronzehe(DK:17)madeintheeleventhyear(c.317bce).After
HebeishengWenwuYanjiusuo,TombofCuo,Plate86. 138
4.4 Cuo’sartifactsmadeinthethirteenthyear(c.315bce).Photosby
XiaolongWu. 139
4.5 ChenZhangsquarehu.AfterZhongguoQingtongqiQuanjiBianji
Weiyuanhui,Zhongguoqingtongqiquanji,vol.9,Plate121. 142
4.6 BronzehuexcavatedatXuyi,JiangsuProvince,anddetailof
decorativepattern.AfterZhongguoQingtongqiQuanjiBianji
Weiyuanhui,Zhongguoqingtongqiquanji,vol.9,Plate123. 143