金文 (jīnwén): bronze inscription

Meanings

1 bronze inscription
2 inscription on ancient bronze vessels (Shang and Zhou dynasties)

Characters

金

writing; script; text

Examples

金文是研究商周历史的重要资料。

Jīnwén shì yánjiū Shāng-Zhōu lìshǐ de zhòngyào zīliào.

Bronze inscriptions are important material for studying Shang and Zhou history.

博物馆里展出了许多带有金文的青铜器。

Bówùguǎn lǐ zhǎnchūle xǔduō dài yǒu jīnwén de qīngtóngqì.

The museum displayed many bronze vessels bearing inscriptions.

Tips

history

金文 (literally "metal writing") refers to inscriptions cast or engraved on bronze ritual vessels (鼎, 簋) during the Shang (商) and Zhou (周) dynasties, c. 1300-300 BCE. Stylistically it sits between oracle-bone script (甲骨文, jiǎgǔwén) and seal script (篆书, zhuànshū) and is a key source for Old Chinese reconstruction.

culture

Because bronze was used for ritual and dynastic objects, 金文 inscriptions often record investitures, military victories, or land grants — making them legal documents as much as art.