Art and technique of Cuojinyin: Two belt hooks from luoyang of eastern zhou dynasty

Cuojinyin is an inlay technique for delicately decorating the surface of bronze and iron wares. It takes advantage of the ductility of gold and silver to perfectly embed them into prepared grooves on the surface of bronze and iron wares without traces of using adhesives. This paper presents preliminary analyses of two belt hooks with cuojinyin decoration excavated from Luoyang, the capital of Eastern Zhou, dated to the Warring States Period. Non-destructive analytical methods including Ultra-Depth Three-Dimensional Microscope and energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRF) were conducted to obtain analytical data and reconstruct the manufacturing process. Several interesting technical features were observed such as the secondary casting of tin–lead alloy, the elemental composition of which is totally different from the bronze surface, and the chasing marks inside the casted grooves for gold and silver inlay. The aesthetic orientation and technical details of cuojinyin not only indicate inspirations from the nomadic world and the long distance interaction across the Eurasia, but also reflect the long developed local tradition in ancient China laid in bronze mold casting technology and turquoise inlay.