5. The Empress’ Jade Seal
Age：Han Dynasty
Height:2 cm; Side Length:2.8 cm
Unearthed in 1968 at Liangjiagou, Xianyang, Shaanxi Province
This seal was made of He Tian jade from Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. With a monster-shaped protrusion as a knob, the seal was inscribed with four characters ‘Huang Hou Zhi Xi’, which means it is an empress’ seal. It was unearthed just 1 km from Changling ,the mausoleum of Emperor Gaozu (named Liu Bang) and his wife (named Lye Zhi ). Therefore, it may have been used by Empress Lye Zhi .The jade seal is one of the most important seals ever to have been found.
6. Silver Pot with Cup-in-Mouth Dancing Horse Design
Age：Tang Dynasty (618-907)
Height:14.3 cm
Unearthed in 1970 from hejiacun, Xi’an
This pot has a decorative design of a horse with a ribbon around its neck and its tail flowing in the air. The horse holds a drinking cup in its mouth -- an allusion to poetry from the period describing the "dancing horses." Dancing horses often performed at court The patterns confirm the historical account that Emperor Taizong trained fine horses that danced to music. It is said that during the performance, they were given wine to drink in cups that they picked up and tilted into their mouths. They used to dance to celebrate Emperor Tangxuanzong’s birthday. The grand scenes of the emperor's birthday celebration party shown on the pot expresses Chinese culture as well as something of an exotic atmosphere.
Email to Friends
Print
Save