A monstrous face spans an entire ax blade, with protruding eyes, uplifted eyebrows, and a gaping mouth with serrated teeth. Weighing 5 kg, this imposing blade from a Shang Dynasty (16th-11th century B.C.) royal tomb site in Shandong Province, China, was used in sacrificial rituals to slaughter prisoners of war; found at its side were three bronze vessels and 28 human skeletons.
In the Shang court, kings acted as intermediaries between heaven and earth, consulting with their ancestors before making any decision. Their people believed them to be imbued with the power to divine the future due to this direct line of communication with the dead. Bronze artifacts, such as the ax, were key to ancient rituals and thus emblems of a king's power.
Bronze-casting techniques were first developed in China around 2000 B.C. and reached a high level of sophistication during the Shang Dynasty. "Prized Treasures of Chinese Art from the National Museum of China," an exhibition showing at the Tokyo National Museum till Feb. 25, displays bronze objects that have been unearthed from royal tombs -- including goblets, wine containers, cooking pots, bells and masks -- as well as a dizzying overview of other prized tomb artifacts on loan from the National Museum of China in Beijing.