Lotus-Crane Square Pot

The Lotus-crane Square Pot is an important artifact from the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 B.C.). It is a giant wine vessel measuring 122 centimeters in height, 54 centimeters in width, and 64 kilograms in weight. Two pieces were unearthed in 1923 in Xinzheng, today's Henan Province, which are housed in the Palace Museum and Henan Museum, respectively.

The square pot consists of a lid and body and involves a variety of decorative methods such as relief, round sculpture, and fine sculpture. The cover is embellished with two-tiered lotus petals, with a lifelike crane in the center.

The vessel is decorated with dragons of various forms. The belly is adorned with dragon patterns, and each of the four corners has an attached flying dragon. A dragon-shaped handle adorns each side, and dragon patterns fully cover the belly. The vessel is supported by two powerful beasts with curling tails at the bottom.

During the Spring and Autumn Period, Chinese bronze casting innovated the "lost-wax method", and the "separated casting method" became popular.

The lost-wax method is a process using wax and clay molds to cast bronze wares. At high temperatures, the wax is melted and drained away, and then molten metal is injected into the hollowed mold, thus producing complex and exquisite wares that cannot be cast with clay molds alone.

The separated casting method refers to a process in which different parts of an artifact are cast separately and then pieced together. The ears and feet of the lotus-crane square pot and the standing crane on the lid were cast separately and then attached to the body.

The Lotus-crane Square Pot features skillful design, exquisite craftsmanship, and an elegant, vivid shape, which sharply contrast the solemn and sedate style of bronze wares of the Shang (c. 1600-1046 B.C.) and Zhou (1046-256 B.C.) dynasties. It represents the new style of bronze art of the Spring and Autumn Period.

蓮鶴方壺

蓮鶴方壺是春秋時期重器，高122厘米，寬54厘米，重64千克，形體巨大，是用來盛酒的容器。1923年出土于河南新鄭，共兩件，分別藏于故宮博物院、河南博物院。

方壺由壺蓋、壺身組成，運用圓雕、淺浮雕、細刻等多種裝飾手法。壺蓋裝飾雙層鏤雕蓮瓣，中心為靈動欲飛的仙鶴。壺身裝飾各種不同形式的龍，腹部飾蟠龍，四角鑄飛龍，雙耳也為龍。底部由兩只卷尾獸承托，穩健有力。

春秋時期，中國青銅器鑄造創新“失蠟法”，發揚“分鑄法”。“失蠟法”，即以蠟制范配合泥質內、外范制器，高溫下蠟熔化流出，澆筑銅液器物成型，可以制作出泥模無法鑄造的復雜、精細的器件。“分鑄法”則是分別鑄造器物各部分，再鑄接起來的制作工藝。蓮鶴方壺的耳、足和蓋上的立鶴即分鑄而成，再與壺身鑄接于一體。

蓮鶴方壺設計奇巧、技藝卓絕，其優美、靈動的造型，與商周青銅器的莊重厚實形成鮮明對比，代表了春秋時期青銅藝術的嶄新風格。