This paper intends to make a rough discussion on the ancient Chinese glaze in the Western Zhou Dynasty. In case of delay, please be axe.
First, the cause of the Chinese West Zhou Dynasty glass
In the Western Zhou Dynasty of China, from the time of Zhou Wuwang's annihilation of the Shang Dynasty in BC to 771 BC, Zhou Youwang was killed by Shen Hou and the canines. He experienced 11 generations and 12 kings, which lasted about 275 years.
The social economy of the Western Zhou Dynasty has a greater development than the Shang Dynasty. The extensive use and production of bronze tools has provided the society with more surplus labor products, which has led to the further development of various handicraft industries. The bronze craft is more prosperous. Apart from the royal-controlled bronze workshop, the vassal states also have their own bronze workshops. Bronze products are more numerous and more versatile, involving almost every aspect of social life. The development of the bronze industry has promoted the prosperity of other industries. The earliest glazers in China are beginning in this period.
According to the unearthed texts of the national archaeological department, a large number of small glass beads and tubes were unearthed in the Western Zhou Tombs in Gansu, Shaanxi, Hebei, Henan, Shandong, Anwei, and Jiangsu. These small pieces of colored glass are considered to be decorative items for the ancients as necklaces. The cause of China's Western Zhou Dynasty glass is nothing more than the further development of bronzes during this period.
The main raw materials for bronze are malachite, tin ore and charcoal, and the smelting temperature is around 1080 °C. Glass generally refers to a fused, cooled, solidified silicate compound. Quartz sand is the main raw material for melting glaze, as well as other raw materials such as soda ash and limestone, and the smelting temperature is 1200 °C. In the process of smelting bronze, due to the melting of various minerals, the glaze material in the discharged copper slag will appear as a filament or a formed mass of silicon compound. Since some of the copper particles invade into the ceramsite, they appear light blue or light green. These bright and beautiful materials have attracted the attention and love of the craftsmen, so after a slow exploration and processing, they have made beautiful glass decorations.
The relationship between ancient glaze and ceramic glaze: China's original porcelain first appeared in the Shang Dynasty. Ceramic glaze is generally made of quartz, feldspar, clay, etc. The chemical composition is silica, alumina, iron oxide, calcium oxide, potassium oxide, sodium oxide, etc., which has the same essence as glass, and the unearthed archaeology of China. It is proved that ceramic glaze has been used in the original porcelain of the Shang Dynasty. Glass has a very close relationship with ceramics and metallurgy, while ceramics and metallurgical technology have reached a high level in China during the Shang and Zhou periods. From the current archaeological data, it can be seen that the appearance of ancient Chinese glaze should be after ceramics, which is a new handicraft handicraft inspired by ceramic glaze.
Second, the study of the unearthed glass of the Chinese Western Zhou Dynasty
At present, the earliest Western Zhou Dynasty glass is found in China.
In 1972, a white perforated (glass) bead was found in an early Western Zhou Dynasty tomb in Zhuanggou, Luoyang, Henan.
In 1975, thousands of pieces of glass tubes and beads in the early and middle stages of the Western Zhou Dynasty were unearthed from the Tomb of the Tomb of Baoji in Rujia, Shaanxi.
There are 15 glass tubes and 11 glass beads unearthed from the early tomb of the Western Zhou Dynasty in the three villages of Beilu Village, Shangsong Commune, Fufeng County, Shaanxi Province.
A glass tube was unearthed from No. 47 Hejia Village, Daishan County, Shaanxi Province, with a length of 1.6 cm, a diameter of 0.2 cm and a wall thickness of 0.11 cm. Light green, dull, and severe weathering.
There are 14 light blue and light green glass tubes unearthed from the civilian tomb of No. 5 in the late Western Zhou Dynasty in Yuntang Town, Fufeng County, Shaanxi Province. There are 9 light blue decorative glass tubes and 33 light blue and light green glass beads. The size is different, the shape is not regular, and the degree of surface corrosion is almost white, and some can still show light blue and light green. The glass tube is generally not straight, the incision is not neat, and it is not round. The glass beads are not round enough and the holes are large.
There are 3 kinds of glass beads unearthed from the late Western Zhou Tomb of No. 47, Rucheng, Lucheng, Shandong Province. There are two kinds of prismatic beads and prismatic beads, all of which are light blue. The walls are thick and thin, and the surface is white and sugary. Pit and stomata.
Shaanxi Province Baoji Rujiazhuang, Henan Luoyang Zhongzhou Road, Shaanxi Jinxi, Zhangjiapo and other places have also been unearthed.
For the textual research on the unearthed glaze of the Western Zhou Dynasty in China, the author believes that the archaeological materials currently in his country are very incomplete. Judging from the published archaeological data, it is often more than before the reform and opening up, and after the reform and opening up, it is rare. However, the fact is that in the process of the rapid development of the national economy in the past 30 years, the ancient glazed unearthed in the Western Zhou Tomb, which was unintentionally discovered in a large number of large-scale infrastructure constructions in various places, has been infiltrated into the private sector for many social reasons. This is very important for the damage caused by the special study of China's Western Zhou Dynasty. Therefore, it is unrealistic and unscientific and unscientific to study the evidence of the Chinese Western Zhou Dynasty glass on the basis of the archaeological data possessed by the state. We can't lose it anyway. Of course, for the study of the loss of glass articles in the folks of the Western Zhou Dynasty, there is no doubt that there is a lack of research on archaeological materials, which indeed brings certain difficulties to the generation. Therefore, for the study of the West Zhou Dynasty glass, it must be comprehensively considered, both considering its overall comprehensiveness, but also considering its certain rigor.
Third, the shape of the Western Zhou Dynasty glass
1, glass beads
The glass beads of the Western Zhou Dynasty can be said to be the starting point of the formation of Chinese glaze. For the molding process of the Western Zhou Dynasty glass beads, there are currently two different viewpoints, one is the core winding method; the second is the bead drop forming method. As for how the ancient Chinese invented and made the original glass beads, there are two different views in the academic world: First, it is thought that the slag of smelting bronze is added to the clay and melted at low temperature. Second, it is considered to be quartz powder. Adding flux, copper coloring roll is formed by sintering and sintering. In this regard, the author prefers the previous point of view. The glazed beads of the Western Zhou Dynasty are relatively small in diameter, generally ranging from 2 mm to 8 mm. More than 1 cm is relatively rare. The holes are generally large, and the holes with small holes are particularly small. The beads are not round enough, and the shells of the beads are generally comparable, but the walls are thick and relatively thick.
At this time, the beads are often accompanied by bubbles in the beads because the melting temperature is relatively low. In addition, due to the relatively low melting temperature and the composition of the raw materials at the time, the crystallized (vitrified) state of the glass is not high, so the surface appears rough and loose, and the brightness of the late glass is basically the glass light. Due to the above two reasons, coupled with the vicissitudes of the underground after 3,000 years or so, the western Zhou Dynasty glass beads that we have seen often leave a mottled bubble hole after the weathering of the bubbles.
2, glass tube
The glazed tube of the Western Zhou Dynasty was developed on the basis of the glass beads. It was mainly established by the various jade pipes that were inspired by the former dynasty.
Characteristics of the glazed tube of the Western Zhou Dynasty: In addition to the appearance of the beads in the Western Zhou Dynasty, the tubes are generally curved and the tubes are not round. The cross section at both ends of the tube has no plane and is arc-shaped. The wall thickness of the pipe is not uniform. Generally, it has obvious distinguishing features from the glass tube of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. The largest and most obvious feature of the hole in the western Zhou Dynasty glass tube is that the two ends of the hole are of different sizes and the holes are not standardized. These extremely irregular shapes appear, which I believe are because they are immortal traces left in the process of artificial process before cooling and solidification after melting at high temperature. These features are undoubtedly limited by the current state of the art. This also shows that the technical level of glass at that time was still in its infancy.
3, glass ring
The glass of the Western Zhou Dynasty, the author has not seen the record of the glass ring in the archaeological materials published so far. The glass ring that the author said here is actually a glass glaze made of glass glaze on the pottery.
4, glaze shell
In the Western Zhou Dynasty, the author has seen two places (earth): Shaanxi and Gansu. (There were also legends that were unearthed in Guangdong, but the author missed it.) The things I have seen in the two places, no matter from the size, shape, color and appearance of the outer skin characteristics, there is basically no difference. For the Western Zhou Dynasty, I believe that it is not used for circulation, but for the nobles whose decorative objects are prominent.
Fourth, the color of the Western Zhou Dynasty glass
China's Western Zhou Dynasty glass is currently published in the text, the color is blue, green, white and purple. The characteristics of these four colors on the Western Zhou Dynasty glass are briefly introduced:
1. Western Zhou Dynasty Blue Glass
Blue glaze is the earliest and most typical color in China's glaze. Cobalt oxide is a colorant used to make blue glaze. The ancients referred to one of the ingredients in the coloring material as "碛", commonly known as "copper", which is actually a pyrite or cobalt oxide mixed in the coal seam. Since China's colored glaze is an accessory product of the bronze smelting process, the original glaze is undoubtedly accompanied by the melting of the sulphurite, the sulphide, which is mixed in the coal seam. Thus, it can be said that the blue color in the original Chinese glass in the Western Zhou Dynasty is its "natural" color. Other colors are improved evolution colors. The blue glaze of the Western Zhou Dynasty is divided into sapphire blue and light blue, which is more common in light blue.
2, Western Zhou green glass
The green glaze of the Western Zhou Dynasty is more vivid than other colors. The most typical is the malachite green we commonly call. It also has a light green color.
3, China West Zhou white glass
The white glaze of the Western Zhou Dynasty is different from the white glaze of the later period. Its white color is not as bright and white as the later white glaze, often with a dull and yellowish appearance. This is entirely related to the ingredients of the raw materials that were fired at the time.
4, Western Zhou purple glass
The purple glaze of China's Western Zhou Dynasty is a miracle in the history of Chinese glaze. The principle of Chinese purple color is mainly due to copper silicate (BaCuSi2O6). As for the research of China Purple, it is one of the important topics of national key research. Over the years, relevant departments have conducted a series of studies on this. Here, I also feel the author. I have also seen a 2009 research report. The research conclusion of this report is to set the age range of China's purple as the upper limit of the early spring and autumn, and the lower limit of the Eastern Han Dynasty; the geographical scope is set as: Gansu, Shaanxi, Henan, Shandong, Jiangsu, etc. For the conclusion of this study, the author does not agree. In particular, there is disagreement about the conclusion that the use period of Chinese purple is limited to the upper limit of the early spring and autumn. From the purple glaze that has been unearthed in the tomb of the Western Zhou Dynasty in China, this is undoubtedly a hundred years ahead of the use of Chinese purple. Therefore, it can be surely stated that the upper limit of the age of China's purple use is at least Western Zhou.
V. Transparency of the glass in the Western Zhou Dynasty
Regarding the understanding of the reasons for opacity or translucency of glaze in China in the early days, all the research data reports in China now consider that its opacity is due to the fact that the ancients were established to cater to imitation jade. I do not agree with this point of view. If the reason for the opacity of the glaze of the Western Zhou Dynasty is based on this point of view, then the opacity of the glaze of the Western Zhou Dynasty is derived from the evolution of the original transparent (or translucent). Then it must be the first transparent (or translucent) object. Then, China's Western Zhou Liuli is currently excavating the information held by the research and has not found any transparent (translucent) objects, all of which are opaque. This also proves the lack of basis for the above viewpoint. We can trace the technological development of ancient Chinese glass, and we can clearly see that the transparency of ancient Chinese glass is from opaque-translucent---transparent development process. The texture of ancient Chinese glass is from the incomplete crystallization of looseness---semi-crystalline (semi-vitrified)---the perfection of full vitrification. The color of ancient Chinese glass is from the original pure single color---multicolor --- Then to the innovative evolution of mixed color. The ancient Chinese glass craftsmanship is from pure natural forming - artificial simple shape - completely artificial shape plus fine carving.
Sixth, the characteristics of the appearance of the glaze of the Western Zhou Dynasty
Although the Western Zhou Dynasty glass has been in the underground for more than 3,000 years, it has not seen an unearthed object with iridescent phenomenon. The reason is that the author mainly believes that it is related to the formula of the glass composition of the Western Zhou Dynasty. Therefore, the most prominent features of the Western Zhou Dynasty glass: The first is the lack of glass luster on the exterior; the texture is rough and loose, basically no vitrification; some have a grainy feel. No transparency. Secondly, the irregularity of the shape; the process is relatively primitive and simple; the color is closer to the natural color, and there is no bright feeling; once again, it can be said with certainty that "the Western Zhou Dynasty has no large size". In this regard, the author believes that the container of high-temperature melting glass at that time is particularly small, and it is still at the beginning. In addition, it may be related to the scarcity of raw materials such as fired glass.
Seven, the detection component of China's Western Zhou Dynasty glass
Xiliu Liuli is the earliest glass in China. However, the test results of various physical and chemical properties show that the main internal component of the western Zhou glaze is crystalline silica, which is a near-glassy substance in which quartz sand is not completely melted under the condition that the sintering temperature is insufficient. Therefore, it is called "artificial polycrystalline quartz", and there is also a foreign language transliteration called "Faience". But no matter what, the Western Zhou Dynasty glass has a direct relationship with the history of Chinese glass invention, which can be called China's "original glass."
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