Developing a little later thanJiaguwen(script on tortoise shells and animal bones) were theJinwen(Bronze Inscriptions or inscriptions on bronze objects). These were characters inscribed on bronzeware during the late Shang and early Zhou (1100-771BC) dynasties, which are known as the Bronze Age.Jinwenis also known asZhongdingwen, a name theZhong(bell) from theDing(tripod), a typical ceremonial instrument, and the Zhong (bell), which symbolizes musical instruments. The nameZhongdingis synonymous with bronzeware.
TheJinwenon bronzeware recorded important events and activities and reflect the social life of the time. The calligraphic style ofJinwenis delicate, simple and dignified. Compared withJiaguwen, it has more variation and is richer in content.Jinwencharacters were first discovered in the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD) when a Ding was discovered in Fenyang, Shanxi Province, and sent to the imperial palace. Other bronze objects inscribed withJinwenwere unearthed later. Song Dynasty (960-1279) intellectuals Ouyang Xiu and Zhao Mingcheng were good at writing and researchingJinwen.
TheJinwenon the Duke MaoDing, made during the Zhou Dynasty, is the most representative of the calligraphy of the period. The inscription of some 497 characters in 32 lines recorded the political situation of the time, and how Duke Mao had offered his loyal services to the Emperor and helped him overcome difficulties. It has the longest inscriptions among the bronzeware attributed to that era; the structure of the characters is neat and the strokes are thin and long. The inscriptions on theDayu DingandSanpan Dingare also good examples ofJinwen.
Jinwenis the main material for research into characters in the Western Zhou Dynasty, the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476) and the Warring States Period (475-221), and the most precious material for research into the pre-Qin history.
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