COLLECTION NAME:
National Palace English
Record
Work ID:
M01B00069
Title:
Bronze Jia Liang
Creation Date:
Xinmang
Start Year Date:
A.D.9
End Year Date:
A.D.23
Dynasty:
14 Wang Mang Interrgnum (A.D.9~23)
Creation Place:
China
Measurements:
Height: 25.6 cm; Weight: 13500g
Material:
Bronze
Form:
Lia (Measure)
Type:
Bronzes
Repository:
The National Palace Museum, Taipei
Description:
After Wang Meng usurped Han, he changed the name of the country to Xin. In order to standardize the system of weights and measures so that measurements for grain in the nation were equal; in the 1st year of his reign he ordered the casting of a measuring tool according to a famous contemporary scholar Liu Qin. By using bronze, Wang wished to display it as an eternal model and reference of measurement, which he named Jia liang. An inscription of 216 characters on the surface of the vessel recorded the making process of this liang and marked all the measurements. The vessel in total has five measuring bodies. The central circular body is the principal vessel, the upper part is hu , and the lower shallower part is dou ; the right ear is sheng, the upper part of the left ear is he, and the lower part of the left ear is yue , two yue equals one he; ten he equals one sheng; ten sheng equals one hu, dou and hu are turned upside down when being used.
ImageV ID:
M01B00069AS006
Rights:
Lee & Lee Communications