Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 78-11(E), Section: A.

Advisers: Edward S. Cooke, Jr.; Anne P. Underhill.

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Ornate, monumental bronze vessels and finely crafted jades have long been the focus in art historical scholarship on Yinxu (ca. 1250-1046 BCE), the last capital of Shang in present-day northwestern Anyang City, Henan Province. This study looks, instead, at display oracle bones, plain bronze vessels, and clusters of colorful pebbles excavated at Anyang. It asks how aesthetics acted upon the world of Yinxu.

By approaching Yinxu from an aesthetic point of view we see that there was more to display in inscribed oracle bones than inscriptions; more to plain bronze vessels than mingqi (vessels for spirits); and, there were stones, other than jade, that had social value. At issue is how the active aesthetics of display bones, plain bronzes and colorful pebbles respectively helped maintain the political legitimacy of the ruling apparatus, form new social categories, assert the religious significance of mortuary rituals, and perpetuate group ties at Yinxu. The social basis of aesthetics is in question.