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The marquis and his bianzhong
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BIANZHONG is an ancient musical instrument comprising a set of bells hung on wooden racks. The most famous, containing 65 bells, was unearthed in the tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng in 1978. The marquis was born in 475 BC and died in 433 BC.
Hung on two sets of wooden racks, the 65 bells of different sizes are arranged on three levels. Those on the upper level are called niu bells, and those on the middle and lower levels are both called yong bells.
The lightest bell weighs 2.4 kilograms; the heaviest 203.6 kilos.
The bronze bianzhong is the largest of its kind found in China so far.
The tomb is in Suixian County in Hubei Province. It was discovered by a soldier named Wang Jiagui when he was in charge of the construction of military buildings there.
On May 17, 1978, the outer coffin was removed from the tomb. But, at first, nothing was found inside the coffin, full of muddy water. Pumping water from the coffin, the archeologists were surprised to find the 2,400-year-old bianzhong, which quickly thrilled the world.
Experts discovered each bell could play two tones with a minor third interval between them. The tonal range of the bianzhong is five-and-a-half octaves, just one-and-a-half less than the range of modern pianos.
Experts say five people were needed to play the bianzhong. Six T-shaped wooden mallets and two long and round wooden hammers were also unearthed from the tomb. The former are believed to be used to strike the bells at the top and middle levels whilst the latter to strike those at the bottom level.
Two colorful paintings portraying the posture of striking bells were found on a mandarin-duck-shaped lacquer box, which gave people a clue to the way of playing the bianzhong.
On August 1, 1978, a group of archeologists, musicians and artillerymen played the song “The East is Red” on the bianzhong. In 1979, the bells were struck again to play Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” at today’s National Museum of China.
To protect the cultural relic, four replicas of the bianzhong have been made. The original remains in the Hubei Provincial Museum.
Zun-and-pan of Marquis Yi
Another important finding in the tomb of Marquis Yi is a bronze artifact combining zun (wine vessel) and pan (basin). Although it is much smaller than bianzhong, its significance is substantial.
The exquisite bronze was cast with 84 dragons and 80 panchi — a mythological dragon-like creature. The patterns of dragon and panchi symbolize the dukes of different status.
Ancient people believed that whoever owned the bronze would rule the world. Therefore, all the kings thirsted for the bronze zun-and-pan.
The Warring States Period (475-221 BC) was a time of violence. Zeng was a minor state subordinate to its powerful neighbor Chu. To defend territory, the Marquis Yi of Zeng sent the king of Chu the “treasure.” Delighted with the surprise, the king of Chu asked the troops to withdrawal immediately.
One day, the angry king of Chu thumped the table, which caused the “treasure” to break into pieces. Looking carefully, the king found that the gift was a replica.
Lack of time and technology resulted in the poor quality of the counterfeit. Advised by a trusted follower, the Marquis Yi of Zeng intended to take on the king of Chu.
Taking the gravity of the situation, the Marquis Yi of Zeng became depressed and his health deteriorated. He asked people to cast the characters meaning that the “Marquis Yi of Zeng made and owned it forever” on the bronze.
The bronze disappeared after the death of the marquis.
The indignant king of Chu led his forces to hunt for the treasure. Excavating his tomb, they found nothing but water. Several soldiers dived into water but never showed up again. Since then, no one dared to explore the tomb.
Actually, water is not an intentional trick. Soon after the burial of the marquis, groundwater flowed into the tomb, flooding all the funeral objects. And that protected the treasures from oxidation and plunder.
Bianzhong of Marquis Yi of Zeng
Height: 748cm
Width: 335cm
Weight: around 5 tons
Period: The Warring States Period (475-221 BC)
Zun-and-Pan of Marquis Yi of Zeng
Height: 30.1cm (Zun), 23.5cm (Pan)
Diameter: 25cm (Zun), 58cm (Pan)
Period: The Warring States Period
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