Exquisite Western Zhou Dynasty bronze "Deng Zhong Sacrifice Zun" and inscriptions
Deng Zhongzun
Era: Middle Western Zhou Dynasty.
Unearthed: In 1984, the cemetery of the Zhou Jing family in Zhangjiapo, Chang'an, Shaanxi Province was unearthed. Archaeological discoveries have revealed that the tomb area of the Jing Shu family is a large-scale and high-level Western Zhou aristocratic tomb group cleaned and excavated in the Fenghao site in Xi'an.
Dimensions: Zuntong height 38.8 cm, length 41.4 cm.
Shape: Deng Zhongzun has a peculiar shape, the overall shape is like a horse not a horse, a sheep is not a sheep, a deer is not a deer, it is a divine beast shape.
The head of the mythical beast stands with two horns and two ears, the neck is bent and the tail is short, the hooves are feet, the abdomen has two wings, and at the same time the neck stands a curly-tailed tiger, making a walking shape, there is a retrospective three-dimensional curle-tailed dragon on the chest and hips, the back of the beast is cast with an oval honorable mouth, and the cover button is a three-dimensional phoenix bird.
Ornamentation: Sacrificial ornamentation is complicated, divided into three layers: the first layer is the cloud and thunder pattern as a shading, the second layer is the semi-relief gluttonous pattern, the dragon pattern, the tiger pattern, the third layer is the three-dimensional sculpture of the curle-tailed dragon, phoenix bird and curch-tailed tiger. The cover circumference is decorated with a double body dragon pattern, the two abdomen are decorated with a retrospective tiger ear dragon pattern, the chest is decorated with a dragon and tiger stripes, and the left and right hips are decorated with a retrospective corolla dragon pattern, and the whole body is filled with fine thunder patterns, which is complicated and fine, and magnificent. The whole is well-cast, magnificent, and is a rare artistic treasure in the bronze ritual vessels. There are two lines and six characters of the same inscription on the abdomen and cover, "Deng Zhong is the treasure of Yi", therefore, this sacrificial honor is also called Deng Zhong Sacrifice Zun.
Bibliography: Yin Zhou Jinwen Collection, 5852.
Collection: Chinese Archaeological Museum.
The inscription reads: "Deng Zhong is the treasure of Zun Yi".
Deng Zhong: Deng, the name of the country; Zhong, ranking name; Deng Zhong was a nobleman of the Deng Kingdom. Deng Guo, surnamed Yan, is a descendant of Shaohao's family. The country of Deng has a long history. Deng Guodi is located in the area of Dengzhou, Henan Province, located in the upper reaches of the Huai River, and originally belonged to the Huaiyi nationality of Dongyi.
Why did Deng Zhongzun, as a bronze artifact of the Deng Kingdom located in the Huai River Basin, appear in the Jingshu family cemetery in the Guanzhong Plain?
There are many possible reasons: the spoils of war plunder, the gifts exchanged by the princes, the wives of the marriages of the princes and nobles, etc.
Some experts believe that "Deng Zhongxianzun" may be the concubine of a woman from Deng Guo who married in Uncle Jing's family earlier.
Marriages between high-ranking nobles in the Western Zhou Dynasty were an important means to consolidate the family's status and expand the family's influence. A thousand years ago, Deng Zhongzun came to Fenghao, the national capital, with the wedding procession, and became a longing thing for the daughter of a distant marriage, missing her parents and hometown, and life and death will always be by her side.
