Based on their Near Eastern origins and difiusiomsm, lost-wax processes were long believed to be the only bronze casting methods used in Bronze Age China. This view, however, radically changed in the late 1920s, when ceramic mold fragments were unearthed at Anyang, the capital of the late Shang dynasty. This groundbreaking discovery, attesting to the utilization of the piece-mold process, challenged old beliefs and stimulated new debates. As further excavations revealed more evidence of its use, scholars gradually shifted to the idea of a metallurgical industry dominated by piece-mold casting and have since doubted the existence of lost-wax processes in Bronze Age China. With his book Metal-working in Bronze Age China, Peng Peng takes part in the debate by providing a deeply researched analysis, arguing that lost-wax methods were indeed employed in Bronze Age China.
展开▼
