In China National Museum, there are ten treasures of the town hall, including bronzes from Shang and Zhou Dynasties.
Li Chan is a bronze ware in the early Western Zhou Dynasty. The animal's head has two earlobes, a drooping belly, and a square seat is continuously cast under the circle. The body and square seat are decorated with gluttonous patterns, and the four corners of the square seat are decorated with cicada patterns. Gui Li is also called "the ghost of business in Wu Wang", "the ghost destroyed by heaven in the Zhou Dynasty" or "the ghost of Tangong".
Li Chan's square seat with two ears, which is collected in the National Museum, is a new style in the Western Zhou Dynasty. Li Chan's square base is also engraved with 33 seal characters, which records the important historical events in the early morning of Jiazi Festival.
Through comparison, it is found that the content of Li Chan's inscription is consistent with that recorded in China's historical documents. The person who made this bronze ware is called Li. He once took part in the offensive war against King Wu, and was rewarded after the victory of the war. Therefore, casting this device is conducive to recording the meritorious military service at that time and paying homage to ancestors.
Li Chan unearthed in Lingkou Town, Lintong County, Shaanxi Province, is the earliest bronze ware of the Western Zhou Dynasty that we can determine so far. During the Shang and Zhou Dynasties in China, bronze was scarce, so people called it "gold" at that time, and only princes and nobles could use this precious metal.
The metal for casting bronze was given to him by King Wu, who asked him to make a bronze as a permanent souvenir. The value of Li Chan is embodied in the four lines of 33-character inscriptions on the bottom of the instrument. Although the word is simple, it confirms the "Makino War" in history. It has an absolute age for this famous battle in ancient history; It provides an important chronological basis for the division of Shang and Zhou Dynasties.