名列六畜之一的羊,是古代中国农耕社会豢养的重要家畜。羊肉是人们重要的肉食来源,羊皮又可作为衣裘御寒保暖。羚羊更是稀有的保护动物之一,其角是贵重的中药,在远古原始社会进入新石器时代以后,羊就成为驯养的重要畜兽,在新石器时代中晚期的一些墓葬中曾有不同数量的羊骨出现,寓示对羊的饲养已逐渐普遍,并和人类结下不可分割的关系。羊的形象也出现于远古时期的岩画和彩陶的纹样之中。进入王朝的先秦时期,羊不仅是贵族钟鸣鼎食的美餐,而且更作为隆重的祭神祭祖之牺牲供品,一些精致的青铜礼器也以羊的形象为装饰。在商代的青铜器中就有如四羊方尊、三羊罍、双羊尊、四羊瓿等,都巧妙地将羊的形象与器形融为一体,达到实用与美观的高度统一。湖南宁乡出土的四羊青铜方尊,高达58.3厘米,重有34.5公斤,器口四面张开,口沿下饰以开放的蕉叶纹,器身遍布云纹、夔龙纹和兽面纹,腹部四角以立雕形式各铸造出一羊,羊头犄角卷出,神 Sheep, one of the six domestic animals, is an important livestock stocked in the ancient Chinese farming community. Lamb is an important source of meat for people, sheepskin can also be used as a warm clothes warm coat. Antelopes are one of the rare protected animals whose horns are precious Chinese medicines. After the primitive primitive society entered the Neolithic Age, the sheep became an important domesticated animal beast. In some of the Middle-Neolithic tombs there were different numbers of The emergence of lamb bones shows that the breeding of sheep has gradually become widespread and has become inextricably linked with humankind. The image of sheep also appeared in the patterns of ancient rock paintings and painted pottery. Into the pre-Qin dynasty, the sheep is not only the nobility Zhongming meal of food, but also as a sacrificial offer sacrifices offerings, some exquisite bronze rituals are also decorated with sheep’s image. In the Shang Dynasty’s bronze ware, there were four sheep, three sheeps, two sheeps, four sheeps’ pouches and so on, all cleverly integrating the image of the sheep with the shape of the animals to achieve a high degree of practicality and aesthetics. Hunan Ningxiang unearthed four sheep bronze square respect, up to 58.3 cm, weighs 34.5 kg, mouth opening on all sides, along the mouth decorated with open banana leaf pattern, the body covered in moire, 夔 dragons and beasts pattern , The four corners of the abdomen in order to form a separate sculpture of a sheep, sheephead horns roll out, God