<p>the 殷周金文集成 9010, my reading is:</p>
<p>the character “向” is inside the character “亞” (the character above the red circle)</p>
<p>then, below the red circle, the characters “父” &amp; “戊” are recognised</p>
<p>the red circled character is not yet identified.</p>
<p>why 小學堂 linked this unidentified character to “丸”, well, . . . could we ask them to explain? </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-08-30T03:57:20.537Z
That's what I'm probably thinking to do, unless if there's a reasonable connection between the depiction of two people playing catch (or giving each other some objects?), I'm still searching in if this ancient character is related to 丸 or if this character was exclusively made for the bronze script era.
prismcool
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-08-30T01:57:49.213Z
2023-08-30T01:57:49.213Z
水巷孑蠻
<p>That is a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shang_dynasty" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Shāng</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_bronze_inscriptions" rel="nofollow noreferrer">bronze inscription</a> sample, which is generally known to have the characteristic of elaborate iconography to emphasise <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shang_dynasty#Descendants_of_the_Shang_royal_family" rel="nofollow noreferrer">clan</a> names or icons.</p>
<p>Trying to &quot;pronounce&quot; this or give it a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liding" rel="nofollow noreferrer">regular script character transcription</a> may be difficult if there is a lack of evidence. Both 「丸」 and 「丮」 have been used as transcriptions for <strong>the right half of the character</strong>, and some paleography authors may only bother using one half if the character is made up of two parts which are mirror images of each other.</p>
<p>I don't know where 「丸」 came from, but I would personally not go for it as a transcription, since 「丸」 itself lacks paleographic evidence of similar shapes to the character in question around the Shāng era. <a href="https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=5418" rel="nofollow noreferrer">「丮」</a> is slightly more convincing, and note that 「丸」 is a regular script corruption of what may be written as 「丮」 in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_seal_script" rel="nofollow noreferrer">small seal script</a> (see e.g. <a href="https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=2032" rel="nofollow noreferrer">「執」</a>). You may see a full transcription of that character as</p>
<p><kbd><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shang_dynasty#Descendants_of_the_Shang_royal_family" rel="nofollow noreferrer">商</a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_bronze_inscriptions" rel="nofollow noreferrer">金</a><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/L15of.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/L15of.png" alt="" /></a><br>亞向⿰丮父戊爵<br><a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.net/yzjwjc/?bh=9010&amp;jgwfl=" rel="nofollow noreferrer">集成9010</a></kbd></p>
<p>and one possible reading of the entire inscription is</p>
<blockquote>
<p>⿴亞向⿰丮父戊</p>
<p>Royal house (「亞」) of 「向」, lower house of 「⿰丮」, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_ritual_bronzes" rel="nofollow noreferrer">(this vessel is cast) for commemoration</a> of father (「父」) on the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavenly_Stems#Table" rel="nofollow noreferrer">5th day (「戊」)</a>.</p>
</blockquote>
<hr />
<p>If you're interested, have a look at <a href="https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/token" rel="nofollow noreferrer">小學堂族徽</a>, where you can find some truly entertaining inscriptions which are impossible to transcribe:</p>
<p><kbd><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/nkZi6.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/nkZi6.png" alt="5806" /></a></kbd><kbd><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/v1u6z.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/v1u6z.png" alt="6153" /></a></kbd></p>
<hr />
<p><strong>References</strong>:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw" rel="nofollow noreferrer">小學堂</a></li>
<li><a href="https://nccur.lib.nccu.edu.tw/bitstream/140.119/73273/1/016101.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">方玥善《商代金文構形研究》</a></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Further reading</strong>:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://history.stackexchange.com/questions/59287/what-is-the-meaning-of-the-cross-on-a-chinese-bronze-gu-chalice">What is the meaning of the cross on a Chinese bronze Gu Chalice? - History StackExchange</a> (shameless plug!)</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-08-30T09:35:43.427Z
omg  you’ve ample times to compose that answer in history.se 
水巷孑蠻
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-08-30T10:41:01.813Z
Honestly it's kind of entertaining to look at some unknown bronze script characters since I just generally like how the characters are written at that time period. Especially the time when it seems like characters to do with people (e.g. 重, 伐, 旅) are drawn more exaggerating with a full circle head and sometimes feet. :)
prismcool
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-08-30T09:09:20.293Z
2023-08-30T09:15:42.443Z
2023-08-30T09:15:42.443Z
dROOOze
<p>Recently after looking up the glyph origin of 丸 (<em>wán</em>; small round object; pellet, pill), I've noticed something when I looked up this character on 小學堂.
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/au2Sg.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/au2Sg.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a>
Apparently this character existed during
the time when bronze script was being used. However though the strange part of this is that this form was listed under 丸 for some reason. I've already clicked on the form and checked it but it appeared that there was no specific character attached to it, meaning that it's probably unknown for now.</p>
<p>From looking at the depiction of this bronze script character, it seems to depict two people catching balls or somewhere like that. Not sure if this ancient form is supposedly the original form for some character I'm unaware of or if this character was specifically created for this era.</p>
<p>For one things for sure, I know that this is supposedly related to 丸 but I'm really not sure if this character is related to 丸. If anyone can, I think I would appreciate it very much if anyone can help identify what character this bronze inscription is supposed to be! :)</p>
<p>P.S., I've also looked up it's appearance on bronze inscription and this is what I've found (circled is the character I'm trying to figure out what it is):
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/W97UI.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/W97UI.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>

<glyph-origin>
What character is this bronze inscription character?
# What character is this bronze inscription character?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-08-29)

Recently after looking up the glyph origin of 丸 (*wán*; small round object; pellet, pill), I've noticed something when I looked up this character on 小學堂.
[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/au2Sg.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/au2Sg.png)
Apparently this character existed during
the time when bronze script was being used. However though the strange part of this is that this form was listed under 丸 for some reason. I've already clicked on the form and checked it but it appeared that there was no specific character attached to it, meaning that it's probably unknown for now.

From looking at the depiction of this bronze script character, it seems to depict two people catching balls or somewhere like that. Not sure if this ancient form is supposedly the original form for some character I'm unaware of or if this character was specifically created for this era.

For one things for sure, I know that this is supposedly related to 丸 but I'm really not sure if this character is related to 丸. If anyone can, I think I would appreciate it very much if anyone can help identify what character this bronze inscription is supposed to be! :)

P.S., I've also looked up it's appearance on bronze inscription and this is what I've found (circled is the character I'm trying to figure out what it is):
[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/W97UI.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/W97UI.png)

**Tags:** glyph-origin


---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2023-08-30. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

That is a [Shāng](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shang_dynasty) [bronze inscription](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_bronze_inscriptions) sample, which is generally known to have the characteristic of elaborate iconography to emphasise [clan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shang_dynasty#Descendants_of_the_Shang_royal_family) names or icons.

Trying to "pronounce" this or give it a [regular script character transcription](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liding) may be difficult if there is a lack of evidence. Both 「丸」 and 「丮」 have been used as transcriptions for **the right half of the character**, and some paleography authors may only bother using one half if the character is made up of two parts which are mirror images of each other.

I don't know where 「丸」 came from, but I would personally not go for it as a transcription, since 「丸」 itself lacks paleographic evidence of similar shapes to the character in question around the Shāng era. [「丮」](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=5418) is slightly more convincing, and note that 「丸」 is a regular script corruption of what may be written as 「丮」 in [small seal script](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_seal_script) (see e.g. [「執」](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=2032)). You may see a full transcription of that character as

`商  
金  
![](https://i.sstatic.net/L15of.png)  
亞向⿰丮父戊爵  
集成9010`

and one possible reading of the entire inscription is

> ⿴亞向⿰丮父戊
>
> Royal house (「亞」) of 「向」, lower house of 「⿰丮」, [(this vessel is cast) for commemoration](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_ritual_bronzes) of father (「父」) on the [5th day (「戊」)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavenly_Stems#Table).

---

If you're interested, have a look at [小學堂族徽](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/token), where you can find some truly entertaining inscriptions which are impossible to transcribe:

`![5806](https://i.sstatic.net/nkZi6.png)``![6153](https://i.sstatic.net/v1u6z.png)`

---

**References**:

* [小學堂](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw)
* [方玥善《商代金文構形研究》](https://nccur.lib.nccu.edu.tw/bitstream/140.119/73273/1/016101.pdf)

**Further reading**:

* [What is the meaning of the cross on a Chinese bronze Gu Chalice? - History StackExchange](https://history.stackexchange.com/questions/59287/what-is-the-meaning-of-the-cross-on-a-chinese-bronze-gu-chalice) (shameless plug!)

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: omg  you’ve ample times to compose that answer in history.se   
> **username_0**: Honestly it's kind of entertaining to look at some unknown bronze script characters since I just generally like how the characters are written at that time period. Especially the time when it seems like characters to do with people (e.g. 重, 伐, 旅) are drawn more exaggerating with a full circle head and sometimes feet. :)  

---

### Answer by username_1 on 2023-08-30. Score: 2

the 殷周金文集成 9010, my reading is:

the character “向” is inside the character “亞” (the character above the red circle)

then, below the red circle, the characters “父” & “戊” are recognised

the red circled character is not yet identified.

why 小學堂 linked this unidentified character to “丸”, well, . . . could we ask them to explain?

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: That's what I'm probably thinking to do, unless if there's a reasonable connection between the depiction of two people playing catch (or giving each other some objects?), I'm still searching in if this ancient character is related to 丸 or if this character was exclusively made for the bronze script era.  

---

