Une sculpture chinoise en bronze du Ve siècle avant notre ère : essai d'interprétation

Abstract

In this article, I intend to present a bronze sculpture representing a bird with a long neck having deer's antlers and which has been discovered in the funerary chamber of the tomb no. 1 at Leigudun in northern Hubei Province. This piece which was placed in the proximity of the double coffin of the Marquis Yi of the state of Zeng has brought to light many new questions. For example, what was its original use ? What could be the meaning of such a representation, a bird with flanks underlined by two snakes holding the birds' wings in their mouth, and with a head which is topped by antlers ? Not only does the inscription to be found on the side of the beak testify to the fact that this bronze was made for the marquis, but also its surface ornamentation has close parallels with most of the bronzes of Leigudun. Yet, among these bronzes, it is the only one to combine two kinds of surface decoration, the curling forms in relief which caracterize the " Huai Style " and inlay of presumably semi-precious stones which have now disappeared. This piece, which typifies the ensemble of bronzes found in Leigudun, in my opinion is undoutedly the most outstanding example amongst them all. From a technical point of view, this bronze sculpture has all the features (mortise and tenon joints) which are normally found on the wooden sculptures of Chu. This unique aspect has incited me to undertake comparisons of the close ties of this piece with the wooden sculptures which have been discovered in the last twenty to thirty years in Chu tombs. Through these comparisons, it now appears to me that the piece in question should be a drum-stand ; the drum was probably attached by rings passing through the two finials of the antlers and the beak of the bird. This conclusion is well supported by the fact that a hanging drum with three rings has been discovered in the funerary chamber of Leigudun's tomb, but without stand.