Luan (chariot jingle)
Datecirca 5th - 1st century B.C.E.
MediumCast bronze
Dimensions1 x 4 in. (2.5 x 10.2 cm)
Depth: 1-7/8 in. (4.7 cm)
Depth: 1-7/8 in. (4.7 cm)
Credit LineGift of Professor and Mrs. Herrlee G. Creel
Object number1986.348
Terms
- Warring States
- Han (Chinese)
Object TypeMetalwork
On View
Not on viewThe chariot was a foreign import developed by ancient Near Eastern and Mediterranean cultures, arriving in China late in the Shang dynasty around 1200 B.C.E. For Shang rulers and their military elite, the chariot seems to have been a parade vehicle or a mobile command post. Its use as a weapon came later, during the Zhou dynasty (1045–221 B.C.E.), where the driver and two weapons experts made up the assault team in battle. As many as half a dozen bronze rattles were attached to the yoke of the vehicle, adding a jaunty note to its passage.
circa 12th century B.C.E.
circa 12th century B.C.E.
circa 12th century B.C.E.
circa 12th century B.C.E.
circa 12th century B.C.E.
circa 12th century B.C.E.
late 19th century