In October 1977, local villagers from Xiasi, Xichuan, discovered an ancient tomb washed out by a reservoir near Longshan on the west bank of the Danjiang River.
Scattered out of the ancient tombs were many bronze and jade objects.
Upon learning of the situation, cultural relic workers quickly went to collect the cultural relics and sent people to protect the site.
In May 1978, archaeologists discovered that there were 24 large and small Spring and Autumn tombs distributed in an orderly manner on the crest of the small Longshan Mountain.
One of the tombs, numbered m2, has been confirmed by experts to be the owner of the tomb, Wang Ziwu, the son of King Zhuang of Chu, a generation of overlords who aspired to dominate the Central Plains during the Spring and Autumn Period.
That is to say, during the period of King Kang of Chu, recorded in the literature, Yin Zigeng, the magistrate of the State of Chu.
This man Chen Wenzhe is very familiar because Prince Wuding also belongs to him. How could he not be familiar with him?
With the discovery of this large tomb, many treasures have been unearthed from archaeological excavations.
Despite being robbed and harassed, 6,089 pieces of bronze ritual vessels, musical instruments, chariots and horses, jades, bone vessels, etc. were unearthed, including 551 large and small bronze vessels alone.
Among them, the cloud-patterned copper banquet has complex patterns and precise casting. It is the earliest lost-wax casting discovered so far.
Jin is a eucalyptus placed in the temple by ancient nobles to hold wine glasses and wine bottles during banquets or sacrifices.
Because the Zhou people learned from the merchants’ lesson of “drinking and ruining their country”, they had the meaning of “forbidding drinking”.
From March to April 30, 1979, scientific excavations were conducted at the Xiasi Cemetery in Xichuan.
A total of five large and medium-sized tombs, 15 small tombs, five chariot and horse pits, etc. were cleared here, and more than 1,000 precious cultural relics were unearthed.
The most precious one among them is this copper ban, which is rectangular in shape and has a very unique design.
The copper ban is decorated with multi-layered transparent cloud patterns all around. Under the cloud patterns, there are several layers of copper stems with different thicknesses, forming an intricate and exquisite pattern.
The inner layer is made of thick and straight copper stems as the backbone, and the middle layer of copper stems is slightly thinner and extends from top to bottom, extending to both sides and then curves upward.
The outer copper stems are the thinnest and are in the shape of independent curly grass.
The three layers of inner, middle and outer copper stems are intertwined with each other, but the inner layer of thick copper stems plays the main role of supporting and restraining the body.
In the middle of the forbidden surface, leave a rectangular, flat and bright plain surface.
There are 12 dragon-shaped monsters clinging to the upper part of the body, 4 on each side and 2 on the left and right.
They have concave waists and curled tails, with their heads and tongues sticking out, facing the center of the forbidden area, forming a very spectacular scene of dragons guarding them.
At the lower part of the ban are 12 tiger-shaped monsters, three on each of the two long sides, and one on each of the four corners and two short sides. They squat under the ban as feet to support the body of the vessel.
This patchwork design, ingenious shape, and exquisite casting technology make the whole thing domineering, forming a mysterious and distinctive artistic effect that is breathtaking.
This cloud-patterned copper banquet is the earliest lost-wax casting discovered in my country.
The lost wax method is one of the three major casting methods invented in ancient my country. It is a casting method that utilizes the fusibility of wax to cast components with complex structures that are difficult to separate.
On January 18, 2002, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage issued the "Catalogue of the First Batch of Cultural Relics Prohibited for Exhibition Abroad (Border)", stipulating that 64 pieces (groups) of precious cultural relics were the first batch of cultural relics prohibited for exhibition abroad (border).
one of them.
According to literature, the earliest use of the lost-wax casting process in my country was in the early Tang Dynasty, and the unearthing of the moiré copper ban pushed the history of China's lost-wax casting process forward by 1,100 years.
On February 12, 2018, the Spring and Autumn Cloud Pattern Copper Banner was displayed at the "National Treasure Special Exhibition" in the Arrow Pavilion Square of the Forbidden City in Shendu.
So besides its complicated craftsmanship, why is it called a national treasure?
The main reason is that the moire copper pattern is forbidden, and the whole piece is cast using the lost wax method.
According to the literature, the earliest time when the lost wax method was used in my country was in the early Tang Dynasty.
Therefore, academic circles generally believe that my country's lost wax process originated from the Asan Kingdom.
However, the unearthing of the moiré copper ban pushed the history of my country's lost-wax casting technology forward by 1,100 years.
Therefore, academic circles believe that the lost wax casting process was quite mature in my country at least 2,500 years ago.
In this way, it is naturally impossible for it to come from Asan.
Looking at the cloud-patterned copper ban in front of him, Chen Wenzhe couldn't help but sigh, the production of this thing is really too complicated.
In particular, the surroundings of the rectangular surface and the four walls are made of multiple layers of copper stems of different thicknesses inside and outside.
The intricate and exquisite hollow moiré patterns on it are a bit dazzling to look at;
There are also 12 dragon-shaped monsters surrounding the forbidden body. The beasts have big horns, open their mouths and tongues, hold out their chests and raise their tails. They cling to the wall of the vessel, looking like they are spying, and they feel like they are jumping for joy;
There are 12 high jewelry crowns at the four corners of the base, with the head held high and the tongue sticking out, the chest raised and the waist raised, and the tiger-shaped feet supporting the body of the vessel are raised, creating the solemnity and sanctity of the bronze ban.
Such a complex national treasure was broken into more than ten pieces when it was discovered.
At that time, the copper stems of the copper ban were broken and the cloud patterns peeled off.
The attached beasts and seat beasts all fell off the main body, and most of them were incomplete.
It can be said that when the copper ban was discovered, it had been broken into hundreds of fragments, copper stems and copper slag, and was even packed in several bags.
It was just such tatters that were finally repaired by Mr. Wang Changqing, a senior technician of the Nanhe Museum, and several of his apprentices, who spent 4 years repairing them.
Through splicing, orthopedics, bonding, molding, replacement, distressing and other methods, they finally completely restored the moiré copper bar and restored the copper bar to its original appearance.
During the restoration process, a relatively complete animal body was first used to make a plaster mold, and tin was poured into two half-animals. Depending on what was missing from the animal body, parts were cut from the top to make up.
The top flower on the top of the head and the tail flower on the tail fell off and were fragmented. It was almost impossible to find a complete one. The larger fragments were molded and glued together.
It is a pity that the copper ban is broken to such an extent, but on the other hand, it can provide convenient conditions for close observation of the copper ban structure and study of the copper ban casting process.
The cloud-patterned copper banquet has a unique shape, delicate and intricate decorations, and complex and exquisite craftsmanship. The lost-wax technology used in its casting process is the earliest physical example discovered in my country.
Its excavation is not only of great value to the study of ancient Chinese bronzes and Chu culture, but also of greater significance to the study of the history of ancient Chinese science and technology.
Of course, for Chen Wenzhe, the most important thing is to restore this national treasure so that our domestic experts can become more familiar with this bronze and understand its production process.
Chen Wenzhe is also very interested in the production process of this treasure. After all, its shape is too complex and too delicate.
However, he had just used Hui Shuo when he saw the maker of this treasure.
He is actually not Wang Changqing, but his son.
During this period, he also saw Wang Chen follow his father Wang Changqing to repair the "Cloud Pattern Copper Forbidden", and also repaired the Prince Wu Tripod during this period, which can be said to be an unexpected gain.
Chen Wenzhe really didn't expect that he would gain something else by looking at this imitation cloud-patterned copper ban.