Established
in 1953, Hubei
Provincial Museum is one
of the most important
research and collection
institution in the
province. More than
140,000 collections,
mainly from a big tomb
excavated in 1978, are
well preserved here,
including 645 pieces of
first class cultural
relics and 16 pieces of
national treasures.
In the summer of 1978,
Hubei provincial
archaeologists working
near Cheng Guan
(present-day Suizhou) in
Sui county excavated a
huge tomb more than
2,400 years old. Dating
back from around 433 BC,
the tomb belongs to
Marquis Yi of the state
of Zeng, one of the
hosts of lesser states
during the Warring
States Period (475-221
B.C.). More than 15,000
relics were excavated
from the tomb, including
the bronze ritual
vessels, coffins,
musical instruments,
gold and jade decorative
items, lacquerware,
weapons and inscribed
bamboo strips.
Musical Instruments
There are 8 kinds and
125 pieces of musical
instruments excavated
from the tomb, including
bells, stone chimes, and
drums, Se, Zithers,
Sheng, Panpipe and Chi,
in which chime bell is
most famous.
As the heaviest musical
instrument in the world,
this set of chime bell,
with a total weight of
2,500 kilogram, consists
of 65 pieces - the
biggest bell is 152.3cm
high and 203.6kg in
weight and the smallest
20.4cm long and 2.4kg in
weight. They were
suspended on 3 ordered
fames and divided into 8
groups. The Niu Bell on
the upper layer, 19
pieces, were used for
producing clear tones,
thirty-three pieces of
Yong Bell on the middle
layer for playing melody
and twelve pieces of
Yong Bell on the lower
layer for accompanying.
Each bell can produce
two different tones when
struck. The chime bell
was covered roughly five
and half octaves and
entire 12 semitones,
which were most like
current C major.
Gold inscriptions of
3,755 words were carved
on the body, the frame
and hung hooks recording
the order of bells,
events, notes and
records of note names,
scale names, octaves and
musical pitch connection
between other states.
The unearthed play
implements are six
pieces of T-shaped
color-painted wooden
poles and two pieces of
colorful wooden sticks.
According to related
materials, there were
probably 5 performers
involved in the playing
of the bells, with two
standing in front of the
set playing the larger
bells with long poles
and three behind playing
the smaller bells with
smaller sticks.
This set of chime bell
of Marquis Yi of Zeng
reflected the
achievements in multi
fields such as
musicology, study of
musical pitch, acoustics
and metallurgy. It is
one of the major
archaeological
discoveries in the 20th
century.
Bronzeware
Altogether 6,239 pieces
of bronzeware were
excavated from the tomb,
including 117 pieces of
ritual vessels and 17
pieces of utensils.
Among these bronzeware,
bronze Zun and Pan are
worthy of notice. It
consists of two
individual vessels - Zun
and Pan. The Zun is used
as a wine receiver and
the Pan is used to hold
the Zun. The two vessels
are formed into a whole.
Four symmetrical
dragon-shaped legs are
attached to the bottom
of the Pan. Four
symmetrical hollowed-out
handless cubes are
adhered to the edge of
the pan’s mouth. There
are hollowed-out
additional ornaments
stuck to the lower parts
on each side of the
handles. Four crawling
beasts are climbing
upwards and throwing up
their tongues on the
neck of the Zun. The
bronze Zun and Pan are
exquisite and the
ornaments are
complicated, reputed as
the best model of
China’s bronzeware in
ancient times.
Lacquerware
The lacquerware
excavated include
tablewares and wine
vessels for picnic,
boxes, cups, buckets,
suitcases for food and
other things. This batch
of lacquerware is both
practical and elegant
and most of the models
are delicately designed
according to the
functions. Lacquerware
are rich in ornaments
and colors. A suitcase
cover was painted with
pictures of astronomical
phenomena, which
indicates that ancient
Chinese had already
noticed the movements of
stars and mastered the
law of the four season’s
change. On both ends of
the cover were also
engraved with dragon and
tiger.
Although the museum is
small, its collection is
rich and various, which
attract more and more
appreciators and
visitors at home and
abroad. |