Production techniques
The third section of the exhibition, called "Firing for Thousands of Years", is designed to show the millennia-long history of bronze ware production.
Historical records show that China began to produce bronze ware more than 4,000 years ago and Shanxi has been a hub of production since then.
Relics unearthed in Shanxi show that local bronze ware production techniques reached a height during the Shang and Zhou dynasties.
The level of production techniques was demonstrated by the discovery of a large amount of production equipment from those periods.
A bronze casting site, with relics dating to the Zhou Dynasty, is among the key bronze ware production sites in Shanxi. The large number of clay molds and crucibles shows that this site was capable of large-scale and standardized production of bronze vessels.
According to Liang, clay mold casting was the core technique for bronze ware production in ancient China.
"The molding set is usually composed of the inner and outer molds," he said. "Molten bronze was poured into the cavity between the two molds, and after it cooled, the molds were smashed to reveal a bronze vessel with clear patterns."
He noted that since this technique has strict requirements for temperature control, the mixing ratio of molten metals — bronze is an alloy of copper, tin and other metals — and mold precision, it represented an advanced level of production nationwide or even worldwide during that period.
At the Tbilisi exhibition, sets of clay molds and crucibles are on display.
Also on show are bronze items produced via the techniques of gold or silver inlay, jade inlay, and gold gilding. According to Liang, these techniques emerged in the Spring and Autumn Period, echoing the noble classes' pursuit of a higher level of aesthetics and better quality of life.
For instance, a dove-shaped bronze cane head produced using the gold inlay technique is on display in the Georgian National Museum. The head of the cane is a dove with glittering inlaid gold threads.
The exhibition in Tbilisi also features an interactive zone for visitors. There are instructors who teach children and adults how to make rubbings of patterns on bronze ware models and repair relics.
According to Liang, this is the first time that an interactive zone has been set up for an overseas exhibition of Shanxi's cultural relics.
Liu Yan contributed to this story.
