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An exhibition "Ancient Chinese Civilization -- Treasures of Xia, Shang, and Zhou Dynasties from Henan Province” is being held at Shenzhen Museum, where visitors can see hundreds of artifacts excavated from Henan Province, once the longtime economic and political center of China.

The remarkable archaeological findings unearthed in Henan -- where various tribes and cultures converged -- have revealed different aspects of the material and spiritual life of the Xia, Shang, and Zhou societies.

The exhibition is jointly sponsored by Shenzhen Museum, Henan Museum, and the Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology of Henan Province and will be open until October 14.

Dominating the exhibition is bronze ware, which, apart from its use as vessels or weapons, was the symbol of political power in the Bronze Age of China.

The numerous varieties, complicated shapes, delicate patterns, colorful inscriptions and the superb casting technology of bronze subjects give a vivid portrayal of the political, economic, cultural and technological characteristics of China's early civilization.

The owners of the exhibits were some of the most powerful aristocrats of the time, including Fu Hao, the first and most favored wife of Shang Dynasty King Wu Ding who ruled China between 1250-1192.

A rare bronze food vessel rectangular cauldron ding with dragon legs and a bronze four-legged animal-shaped wine vessel excavated from the tomb of Fu Hao in Henan Province are on display.

The arrangements of bronze food containers ding in the tomb of the Guo state (excavated in Henan in 1956) as featured in the exhibition reveal a ritual system of the Western Zhou Dynasty centering on ding, a large, usually round-shaped bronze container with three or four legs.

From the tomb of Guoji, the ruler of the Guo state, seven ding tripods lined up in the burial pit were excavated -- a clear demonstration of the tomb owner's high status as a feudal lord.

According to the status of the deceased, there would be nine, seven, five, three or one ding arranged in the tomb.

All the seven ding from the Guoji tomb are on display at the exhibition, which are elegant, grand, and complete despite their old age.

On the inner wall of each ding there are inscriptions giving a blessing that all the offspring of the tomb's occupant may use the tripod and enjoy it forever.

The most elaborate and bizarre bronze exhibit is a bronze divine creation from the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476).

With a dragon's head, a tiger's body and a tortoise's feet, this divine creature is full of mystery.

The dragon's head is portrayed opening its mouth with its tongue sticking out. There are six small dragons coiled around each other forming a crown on its head.

The piece was excavated from a Chu state tomb site in Xichuan County, Henan Province in 1990. Xichuan County was the home to Danyang, the capital of the early Chu state.

When used in weapons, bronze showed its advantage over all other materials in the periods of Xia, Shang and Zhou. At that time all of the known weapons had bronze blades, including bronze arrow heads, dagger-axes, battle-axes, big knives, swords and daggers.

The exhibition offers a view of almost all types of ancient bronze weapons, some with inscriptions showing their ownership.

In China, carriages emerged as early as the Xia Dynasty. To reinforce the carriage, more bronze components were used for various key parts, such as axle pins and yokes, sometimes for decoration purposes.

At the exhibition visitors can also see a variety of axle and bridle ornaments. Most of them were made with exquisite craftsmanship and have elegant decorative patterns. A pair of bronze bridle ornaments in the shape of a human face is especially vivid.

From these elaborate decorations, you can imagine that the horse carriage they decorated must have been magnificent.

Ancient China is commonly described as a "nation practicing rites and music.” The exhibition shows a set of bianzhong bells, an important bronze percussion instrument in ancient China. It consists of a set of bronze bells of different sizes, each bell making a different musical tone.

Another musical instrument, zheng, also on display, was commonly used in military music and also for normal sacrificial rites and banquets.

The exhibition offers clear, elaborate illustrations in both Chinese and English of each piece on display. Background information about each of the three dynasties including their rituals, customs is also clearly stated.

(Shenzhen Daily July 27, 2007)