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Casting and Joining Methods Associated with Chinese Ritual Bronzes

China is home to some of the most intricate ritual bronze vessels ever created. The methods referenced in this article refer specifically to artifacts made before the Warring States period in China. These pieces come in a variety of shapes and sizes; all standardized forms, but none an exact replica.

File:Piece mold diagram.jpg

Piece mold visual diagram

Piece-Mold Casting

In order to understand the secondary application of appendages during the process of casting it is important to be familiar with the initial process. In simple terms, ABC

Interlock Casting

In order to join pieces during the casting process, artisans in ancient China employed a variety of techniques, most notably precasting units of a vessel and incorporating them into larger molds in a process referred to as interlock casting. This method was preferable because it provided a sturdy connection between the units.

Precasting

Info on precasting.

Soldering

Soldering is a process in which two metal objects are cast together, essentially using a third metal as glue. In modern application this third metal - usually an alloy - is melted down and its molten form is applied around the edge where the two pieces meet.

Limited research has revealed that soft-soldering - a technique that employs a tin-lead alloy - was not being used during the time period Ritual Bronzes were being created. However, testing done on alloys indicates enough tin was present to lower the melting point considerably. Professor Cyril S. Smith - of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology - suggests this solder was applied to objects in an incompletely melted or pasty condition, after which appendages were pressed into it. ^[1]

In some cases the application of soldering is extremely perplexing in its intricacy. In a time when modern technology was not available, these craftsmen were able to work in very tight spaces with extremely hot metal. This idea still intrigues researchers today.

Hard Soldering

Examples

"Bo" of the Duke of Qin, Early Spring and Autumn period
Buffalo-shaped vessel from Hunyuan county, Shanxi province

References

^ Gettens, Rutherford John. "Joining Methods in the Fabrication of Ancient Chinese Bronze Ceremonial Vessels." Application of Science in Examination of WOrks of Art, Proceedings of the Seminar: September 7-16, 1965. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

[1] Gettens, Rutherford John. "Joining Methods in the Fabrication of Ancient Chinese Bronze Ceremonial Vessels." Application of Science in Examination of WOrks of Art, Proceedings of the Seminar: September 7-16, 1965. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

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