"Brother Niu, how is it, things are good!" Da Zhuang looked a little proud.

I didn't answer, I couldn't take my eyes off the bronze gui, but after a while, the answer I wanted didn't come to my mind.

I frowned slightly, thinking to myself, "It's strange, even if it's an imitation, I remember, I can feel it." Why did I watch this for a long time and there was no reflection?"

Da Zhuang saw me pondering, thinking that I was appreciating, so he pointed with his teeth and claws, "Brother Niu, this is called red spots and green rust, you can take a look." ”

I nodded, still not speaking.

Da Zhuang continued to introduce, but most of the time I listened to the old man's words, so I waved him off.

"I will not judge the authenticity of this object first, but first analyze it objectively. I said calmly, and Da Zhuang immediately shut his mouth and stopped bothering me.

I weighed it with my hands, "It's a bit heavy, but I haven't ever used real bronzes, so I can't use this as a basis for judging first." I said to myself.

I continued to carefully observe the rust color, and secretly calculated in my heart: after thousands of years of circulation, this bronze ware has been roughly divided into three ways: into the earth, into the water, and handed down to the world. The book says: "When the bronze falls into the water for a thousand years, it is as green as a melon skin, and as smooth as jade; less than a thousand years, although it is green but not shiny; the bronze that has not been handed down into the earth and water has a purple brown color, and there are cinnabar spots, and even its spots are convex." "Generally speaking, most of the bronze ware that has been handed down so far is unearthed, due to the difference in copper quality and soil quality, water quality differences, the rust color of the bronze ware into the soil is not the same, common green rust, red rust, blue rust, purple embroidery, etc. "This bronze gui, rust color and body are one, solid and even, smooth and natural, not like a fake. ”

When Da Zhuang heard this, he was very excited, and shouted: "Brother Niu, look, this is a good thing!"

I subconsciously grabbed the bronze jar tightly, and said a little angrily: "You want to scare me to death, don't speak!"

Da Zhuang hurriedly covered his mouth, and made a gesture to sew his mouth on, I smiled angrily and continued to watch. However, he didn't dare to hold it in his hand anymore, but put it on the table.

I carefully observed the type of bronze 簋, "It was an important ritual vessel in the Shang and Zhou dynasties, and it was used in conjunction with Lieding in even numbers during banquets and sacrifices. According to the historical records, the Son of Heaven used nine tripods and eight tripods, the princes used seven tripods and six tripods, the doctor used five tripods and four tripods, and the scholars used three tripods and two tripods. ”

Lines, yes, I'll take a look at them again. I thought to myself.

This bronze Gui is decorated with a relief animal face on the front and back of the neck, and the left and right sides are decorated with thunder patterns, and the feet are decorated with animal face patterns. I took a breath and said, "This type should be, possibly from the middle of the Western Zhou Dynasty." ”

Da Zhuang still couldn't hold it back, and asked, "How do you see it!"

I gave him a blank look and explained, "Me too, I feel, you wait for me to sort it out... As I just said, in ancient times, this was a ritual vessel used to worship the heavens. The bronze gui of the early Shang dynasty had no ears like the pottery gui, and this one was double-eared. ”

"It won't be because of this!" Da Zhuang questioned.

"Listen slowly, don't interrupt. "For Da Zhuang's temperament, I can't be anxious. Then, he continued: "From the late Shang period to the early Western Zhou Dynasty, it was the heyday of the development of bronze ware, with a variety of types, thick and dignified, gradually lengthened inscriptions, and rich patterns. ”

I paused slightly, "The bronze ornament of the Western Zhou Dynasty continued to develop on the basis of inheriting the Shang Dynasty, and the early Western Zhou Dynasty and the late Shang Dynasty entered the heyday of the development of ornamentation, which was inseparable from the social and historical background at that time, that is to say, although the dynasty changed, the ruling class did not change the idea of ruling people with ritual vessels, so the general environment for the development of bronze ritual vessels has not changed, so that the ornaments on the bronze are still developing in accordance with the idea of serving the ritual vessels, and many ornaments of the Shang Dynasty are still in use in the Western Zhou Dynasty. ”

I finally threaded a few dots into a thread and said, "Da Zhuang, you see this bronze gui, on the neck and feet are animal face patterns, which does not conform to the characteristics of the early Western Zhou Dynasty. In the early Western Zhou Dynasty, the animal face pattern and its deformed ornamentation were gradually eliminated in the Western Zhou Dynasty, and in the middle and late Western Zhou Dynasty, the animal face pattern was very few, and even if there were, it was mostly on the feet and some inconspicuous places. So I think this is a bronze vessel in the middle of the Western Zhou Dynasty. ”

After listening to this, Da Zhuang did not speak directly, but raised his right hand, just like when he was a child, he raised his hand to answer the teacher's questions in class.

Da Zhuang asked, "Why are the beast face patterns gradually decreasing?"

I replied, "These changes are inseparable from the social and historical background of the time. In the Western Zhou Dynasty, the object of worship has changed, the productivity has been further improved, there are no animals in the Western Zhou Dynasty that are the opponents of people, people are no longer afraid of many animals in nature, no longer worship, both can not conquer the beast at least also have a deep understanding of its habits, has no longer belonged to the object of worship, so that the mystery of these animals is small, let alone called gods, so in the Western Zhou Dynasty the real animal face pattern is less. ”

Da Zhuang didn't seem to understand it, but he felt that it made sense, and said thoughtlessly: "Brother Niu, can you be sure that this is from the middle of the Western Zhou Dynasty?"

I blinked, unsure, and shook my head hesitantly.

At this time, I realized that I was able to pick up leaks by relying only on my abilities, and these historical knowledge could only play a supporting role, which made me a little inexplicably lost. Thinking of this, I sneered, no, without the ability, I am just an ordinary person!

Seeing me laughing, Da Zhuang hurriedly asked, "Brother Niu, what do you see again?"

I was a little embarrassed and said, "No, I just thought of something and was still sorting out my thoughts." ”

"Brother Niu, you can also teach me, talk about it. "Since I started picking up leaks, Da Zhuang has gradually become interested in this knowledge, of course, it is very likely to be for the sake of money.

I said, "The bronze production method of the Western Zhou Dynasty is the same as that of the Xia and Shang periods, there is not much change, it is all made of pottery, and one vessel is one fan, handmade..."

Speaking of this, I suddenly paused and said: "Bronzes will leave some traces of craftsmanship, which is the characteristic of the pottery method. ”

Then, I hurriedly checked the fan line and gasket, "Actually, no?" I exclaimed.

"Nothing?" Da Zhuang asked.

I continued to look intently, and replied casually: "Fan line and gasket." ”

Da Zhuang didn't know what it was, and asked exaggeratedly, "What?"

I continue to popularize the knowledge points, "Casting bronze ware with the Tao Fan method, due to the process reasons, there will be the following traces: the wall is thin and uneven, there are casting marks on the abdomen, bottom, feet and other parts, there is a dislocation of the pattern parts where the fan and the fan are closed, there are red or gray fan lines remaining in the ears, feet, and jian, which are very strong and cannot be picked off with fingernails; ”