Qiu Wei

Qiu Wei was a Zhou dynasty aristocrat who lived during the reigns of King Mu of Zhou and King Gong of Zhou. He is known for his appearance on various Chinese bronze inscriptions, which detail him making his fortune by trading prestige goods, such as leather, fabrics, chariots, and land, providing key insights into Zhou life.

Periodisation Qiu Wei's name is featured on four bronzes, known conventionally as "Qiu Wei's Four Tools" : Qiu Wei he (, 集成 9456) Fifth-year Wei ding (, 集成 2832) Ninth-year Wei ding (, 集成 2831) Twenty-seventh-year Wei gui (, 集成 4256)

Each of these tools was unearthed in the same cache in 1975, in Dongjiacun in Qishan County, Shaanxi.

The periodisation of the four tools is somewhat unclear. The Fifth-year Wei ding specifically notes King Gong of Zhou, but his reign did not reach 27 years according to any Chinese classics, and this has not been contested by excavated texts either. Shaughnessy therefore surmises that the Twenty-seventh-year gui must be from the middle years of King Mu of Zhou, making it the earliest of the bronzes. However, as King Mu reigned for around 55 years, this would place the bronze unusually far away from the rest; therefore, this could be evidence of King Gong living for longer than the classics suggest.

Life Qiu Wei was born into a seemingly prominent family. He was filial towards his father, Hui Meng , and engaged in fur trade, eventually building his way towards land sales supervised by nobility from various polities. He would store the bronzes cast to honour his larger trades in a family shrine. Robert Eno notes that the fact the Zhou ruler does not oversee the trade is a possible sign of the decline of the royal house.

Assuming the Twenty-seventh-year Wei gui was from the reign of King Mu, the earliest record of Qiu Wei shows him being presented with regalia with supervision from an Earl of Nan . The king then presented him with a leather apron , a vermillion sash , and luan bells . Qiu Wei then kowtowed and inscribed a message on the gui for his descendants to honour the event.

The Qiu Wei he details a Duke of Bo taking a jade jinzhang from Qiu Wei, which was valued at eight peng, a kind of stringed cowrie shell. The Duke of Bo then gave Qiu Wei ten fields in return. Qiu Wei then reported the trade to a Father Boyi , Earl of Rong , Earl of Ding , Earl of Ke , and Earl of Dan . He then reported the deal to the Minister of Works, Wei Yi , the Minister of Works, Shan Yu , and the Minister of Works, Fu of Yi . He then had a feast and produced the Qiu Wei he in honour of his father.

The Ninth-year Wei ding is more complicated than the earlier Qiu Wei land texts. Its opening places the event at the Ju Palace , where the king receives Mei Ao , a possible Chu minister, and holds a sacrifice for them.