Bronze Ware - Highlights of Auctioned Chinese Antiques Series

'Highlights of Auctioned Chinese Antiques' comprises five volumes, namely,'Bamboo, Wood, Ivory and Horn Carvings', 'Porcelain', 'Jadeware', 'Bronzeware' and 'Ancient Furniture'. Each volume contains around 150 representative items put up for auction from 1995 to 2010 at auctions held by dozens of auction companies fromcities like New York, Nagel, London, Hong Kong, Macau, Taipei, Beijing, Shanghai.Tianjin, Nanjing, Guangzhou, Kunming, Chengdu and Jinan. The selection of the items is based on the style, texture, form, decorative pattern, workmanship, function, culturalimplication and value of the antiques in question, including some items which have not yet been transacted.
The earliest record about excavation of Chinese bronze wares was found in the Han Dynasty, which was regarded as an auspicious sign at that time. it is recorded in Historic Record-Regulations of Offering Sacrifices to Heaven and Earth that once Emperor Wu got an ancient bronze ware, and asked Mr. Shaelun for its origin.Mr. Shaojun answered that this item was once put on the Bai Qin by Duke Huan of Qi. Confirmed by the later found inscription on it, the item did belong to Duke Huan of Qi. Everyone was shocked and thought ME Shaojun was immortal so that he would live for such a long life and know things happened hundreds of years ago. Another record is found in Book of Former Han Treatise on Sacrifice, which is about where to put a bronze ware discovered and presented to Emperor Xuan.