Iron casting, as a technique that essentially consists of pouring molten metal into a mould in order to produce various types of objects, has ancient origins. While the beginnings of ironworking can generally be traced back to Mesopotamia and India around 1400 BC, the production of cast iron objects was first experimented and practiced in China almost a thousand years later, using a technology that only arrived in Europe in the 12th century.

The earliest evidence of cast iron objects in China dates back more precisely to the Warring States period (5th-3rd century BC), coinciding with the invention of an ancestor of the modern blast furnace, through which iron ore was heated to a high temperature, allowing for the relatively large-scale production of artefacts such as tools, weapons and ritual objects. During the Han dynasty (3rd century BC – 3rd century AD), the technology was further refined, arousing the interest of the noble classes and spreading throughout the Empire. During this period, cast iron also began to be used for sculptures, marking the beginning of a long artistic tradition.

 

Engraving from the Encyclopaedia Tiangong Kaiwu compiled by Song Yingxing in 1637

 

In general, cast iron works were used for religious purposes (statues of deities, symbolic animals, censers) and, more rarely, for civil use. Over time, extraordinary levels of skill were achieved thanks to the refinement of furnaces, which allowed for the creation of even large-scale works. A famous example of ancient Chinese statuary are the four warriors guarding the “Depository of Ancient Spirits” (Gu shen ku) in Zhongyue Temple, dated 1064 AD.

 

One of the four cast iron warriors guarding the “Depository of Ancient Spirits” (Gu shen ku )
of the Zhongyue Temple in Dengfeng, Henan, XI AD photographed by Donald B. Wagner

 

During the Song dynasty (10th-13th century AD), works took on more elegant and refined lines, displaying a balance between strength and spirituality and demonstrating the union between technical mastery and profound religious sensitivity, central elements of traditional Chinese art. Among the various artefacts not exclusively for religious use that document this evolution in cast iron techniques, mention must certainly be made of some rare water vessels of various sizes for domestic and liturgical use.

 

 

This elongated oval-shaped cast iron basin has four movable rings placed in pairs on the two long sides, almost certainly designed specifically to facilitate its movement. It rests on four simple square feet and its most notable feature is the elegance of its decoration, the result of careful finishing after casting. On one long side there is a charming chrysanthemum, on the other long side a splendid lily, while on one short side there is the following inscription in Chinese characters, which can be translated as: “first day of the third lunar month of the second year of the reign of Tien Ch’I”, corresponding to a day in March 1623; below the inscription there is a small hole that facilitated the drainage of water, originally closed by a stopper, while the other short side is decorated with a vegatal motif.

 

 

Most likely, this basin was originally placed in a monastic garden for decorative purposes and was intended to hold lotus flowers and/or goldfish. To the best of our knowledge, there are no other known examples of this type of cast iron basin dating back to the 17th century, making this basin a rare and refined example of an ancient Chinese metallurgical tradition.

 

 

 

BASIN
Cast iron
China
Ming Dynasty (1368–1644)
Dated 1623
Cm 74 x 47 x 31