page_title: Guoji Zibai pan
section_title: Qing dynasty
hierarchical_section_title: Guoji Zibai pan / Discovery / Qing dynasty
caption_attribution_description: English: Weng Tonghe (1830 - 1904), was a Chinese politician in the late Qing Dynasty. 中文: 翁同龢（1830年－1904年），字叔平，号松禅，晚号瓶庵居士。中国江苏常熟人，晚清政治人物、书法家。是同治帝和光绪帝的两代帝师。
context_page_description: The Guoji Zibai pan is an ancient Chinese bronze rectangular pan vessel from the Western Zhou dynasty. Excavated in Chencang District of Baoji, Shaanxi during the Daoguang era of the Qing dynasty, it is on display in the National Museum of China in Beijing.
  The Guoji Zibai pan is the largest known bronze plate in the world. It enjoys the reputation of the best bronzeware in the Western Zhou dynasty. The Guoji Zibai pan, the San Family Plate, and the Mao Gong ding, are known as the "Three Important Bronzewares in the Western Zhou dynasty".
context_section_description: According to Prefecture Records of Luzhou (《庐州府志》), the Guoji Zibai pan was unearthed at Guochuansi of Baoji, Shaanxi, in the Daoguang period (1821–1851) of the Qing dynasty (1644–1911). Xu Xiejun (徐燮钧), the then magistrate of Mei County, purchased the plate for 5,000-gram (180 oz) silver from a local  peasant. And he brought the plate to his house "Tianyou Hall" (天佑堂). In April 1860, it fell into the hands of Chen Kunshu and became the treasure of the Mansion of Prince Protector.
  In May 1864, namely the 3rd year of Tongzhi period of Qing dynasty, Liu Mingchuan (1836–1896), general of the Huai Army, led the troops of Qing Empire to fight with the Taiping Army, and finally liberated Changzhou. When Liu moved into the mansion, his soldiers didn't know the plate and used it as a manger. One night when reading a book under the oil lamp, Liu heard clear metal clanks from out of the window. All was quiet at dead of night, so the clanks sounded clear and loud. Liu came to the stable following the sounds, and saw that a horse was eating grass with the bronze rings on the headstall hitting the manger from time to time to make the clanks. Liu was so curious that he bent to look carefully with the lantern, and found the manger wide and deep with fuzzy decorative patterns on its four sides. Liu tried to push the manger but failed. It was very unusual and he decided to check it out after the dawn. The next day he ordered his attendants to carry out the manger and wash it. The bronze ware was very exquisite and Liu was very fond of it. He immediately sent his trusted followers to transport the manger to his hometown, Hefei in Anhui. Liu specially invited Huang Congmo (黄从默; 黃從默) who was familiar with ancient Chinese characters to help him research the bronze ware. Huang told him that most of bronze plates discovered in the past were round, and rectangular bronze ware was very rare, and such a large and rectangular plate was even more scarce and, or even might be the only one of its kind. And the inscription clearly showed that the bronze plate was cast by Guoji Zibai of the Western Guo State. After Liu understood the story of the manger he decided to protect it. Liu specially built an exquisite pavilion in his house, which he named "Plate Pavilion" (盘亭; 盤亭) to preserve the plate. Huang made a piece of rubbing from its inscription and copied a lot of copies. Huang sold it on the market. Weng Tonghe (1830–1904), a collector and teacher of Guangxu Emperor, wanted to buy the plate but Liu refused. Weng told the Empress Dowager Cixi on Liu Mingchuan and complained about that. But Liu's superior Li Hongzhang explained that. Empress Dowager Cixi decreed to bestow the plate on Liu Mingchuan. In 1885 he was appointed the first provincial governor of Taiwan by the Qing government, a position he held for almost ten years until his retirement. From then on he lived a retiring life and didn't care about national affairs any more. The plate became his spiritual ballast in his declining years. In 1894, the Qing army were routed in the First Sino-Japanese War and the Qing government was forced to sign the "Treaty of Shimonoseki". When hearing the news, Liu was furious that he became illness suddenly and died with indignation. Before he died, he told his children again and again that the plate was a national treasure and they should protect it even risking their lives.
caption: Weng Tonghe (1830–1904), scholar and Minister of Revenue, who coveted the Guoji Zibai pan
exif: {}