Gallery307
Exhibition nameRituals Cast in Brilliance: Masterpieces of Bronzes in the Museum Collection
Height: 25.6 cm
When Wang Mang usurped the throne from the Han dynasty and established the Xin dynasty, he followed the standards of the past and had the measures recast, which were known by the name "Chia liang (measures)". This Chia measure is a combination of five such measures. The main body is a "hu." Turned over, it becomes a "tou." The left measure is a "sheng," and the right one is a "ho," below which is a "he." Two "he" equal one "ho," ten "ho" equal one "sheng," ten "sheng" equal one "tou," and ten "tou" equal one "hu." The inscription explains the origins, individual parts, and dimensions of the individual parts.