In every nation's history of development, there is, without exception, an invaluable "bronze age". Bronze relics, no matter what their use or degree of ornamentation, are "envoys" dispatched from that remote age. In China, the bronze age refers especially to the period covering the Xia Dynasty (2070-1600 B.C.) to the end of the Warring States Period (770-476 B.C.) — over 1,500 years. It is mainly in the bronze wares which they handed down that the forefathers of the Chinese nation give us a glimpse of their lives — their glories and sorrows, dreams and hardships, and even their thoughts and ideas. Perhaps, much of the spirit embodied in bronze ware has melted into our blood without our being fully aware of it. Moreover, a foreigner who wishes to understand this ancient land of the East may find inspiration from the inner world of ancient Chinese bronze ware, so as to have a fuller understanding of China and its people today.
