Ceng Houyi Zunpan was cast by lost wax method. What is its manufacturing process? Ceng Houyi Zunpan unearthed from the tomb of Zeng Houyi in Suizhou, Hubei Province is not only a symbol of wax loss, but also a totem of bronze craftsmen. The casting model is made of craftsmen's beeswax, and then it is finely carved and hot-worked, making a complex mold. The beeswax melts and loses when heated, forming an empty shell that can be cast. After pouring copper liquid and cooling, a utensil can be formed. Wax loss method is plastic wax, which is repeatedly poured with fine mud after plastic. After clay covers the wax mold, it is coated with refractory and baked with fire to make the mold. The wax flows out to form a cavity, and then the copper juice is cast to form.

Ceng Houyi Zunpan was born in the early Warring States period. 1978 was unearthed in the tomb of Zeng Houyi, Leigudun, Suizhou City, Hubei Province, and is now in the Hubei Provincial Museum. Ceng Houyi Zun Pan is a combination of Zun and Pan. When unearthed, you put it in the pot. Your mouth is trumpet-shaped, your neck is long, your abdomen is round and round. The pot consists of a pot body and various accessories. The whole set of utensils is exquisite, rich and simple, especially several layers of hollowed-out decoration, which can be called uncanny workmanship, reaching the extreme of bronze craft in pre-Qin Dynasty.

Although the production principle is not very complicated, this statue disc is carved through air and through multiple layers. These surfaces are independent and unconnected with each other. It is supported by internal copper stems, which are connected layer by layer and uneven. Moreover, there are countless patterns in the hollow mussels, and the bending degree is high, so the molding process is difficult. Even now, it is a great challenge, not to mention the Warring States period. There are 34 parts in bronze, and 56 parts are cast and welded together. There are 28 dragons and 32 dragons on the statue, and 56 dragons and 48 dragons on the copper plate. When unearthed, the two cultural relics were integrated. There are inscriptions on statues and plates. Because Hou Yi used it before his death, he named it Ceng Houyi Zunpan.

A remarkable feature of this kind of zunpan is transparent decoration, which consists of two layers, inner and outer. The outer layers are independent of each other, the inner layer is supported by copper stalks, and then the copper stalks are connected layer by layer, which is uneven. Such a complicated structure is difficult to manufacture. Coupled with the flowing shape, it is exquisite and amazing. The magic of Ceng Houyi Zunpan is that it has many layers of hollowing and carving, which are not connected with each other on the surface, but the interior is made up of layers of copper components, which are uneven.