"Purely" Chinese Gold and Silver Articles-Ending

Painstaking attention to artistic design characterizes gold and silver objects of the Tang Dynasty - to be more precise, of the shapes of plates, cups, boxes and pots. Those large plates with floral patterns of gold are the most striking examples, which take the shape of water chestnut flower or sunflower formed with fine, delicate lines. A sander burner is probably the most ingeniously constructed. The ball consists of two half-spheres with holes cut in beautiful patterns to allow emission of smoke. The half-spheres each are fitted with a device of concentric circle to ensure balance of the sander holder. Artifacts noted for exquisite craftsmanship also include a gilded silver pot with rings in the shape of a horse and a gilded wine cup with a base in the shape of a turtle.

Gold and silver artifacts of the Tang Dynasty are also reputed for those decorative patterns on them. Many silver vessels have gilded patterns. Especially worth mentioning are those large plates in shapes of chestnut flower or sunflowers, which have in the center deer, lion or fish-like dragon patterns. In many cases, circular floral patterns are done round the main pattern in the center of a plate. Gold and silver artifacts were popular not only among monarchs and aristocrats of the Tang Dynasty but also among the land gentry and other rich people.

From a single Tang tomb at Hejia Village in Xi'an archeologists unearthed a large quantity of gold and silver artifacts, testifying to the widespread use of such artifacts at the time. Gold and silver objects continued to be popular in dynasties following the Tang. Among tombs from which large quantities of gold and silver artifacts have been unearthed, the most famous is the tomb of Emperor Shen Zong and his queen, one of the 13 imperial tombs of the Ming Dynasty in Beijing. Though commoners of the Ming Dynasty, Dong Si, Wan Gui and Wan Tong, also in Beijing, had many funerary objects of gold and silver in their tombs.