Gilt Bronze Human-Shaped Lamp
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Treasures in the museums of Hebei Province
With thousands years of history, cultural relics collected by the museums of Hebei Province perfectly exhibit the spirit of Yan-Zhao culture, in ancient times Hebei province was named Yan-Zhao. Gilt Bronze Human-Shaped Lamp ("Changxing Palace" Lamp) collected by Hebei Museum Excavated from Han (206BC-AD220) tombs in Baoding in 1968, Gilt Bronze Human-Shaped Lamp was listed as national top cultural relic and collected by Hebei Museum. Boasted with unique shape, exquisite workmanship and skillful design, it was regarded as a craftwork reflecting the best craft of traditional Chinese arts and handicrafts. According to Zhou Yun, the deputy curator of Hebei Museum, the lamp is famous for its inscription. The lamp panel can turn freely and two arc plates above it can close and open with a push in order to control the brightness and lighting direction of the lamp. Treasures in the museums of Hebei Province To keep the room clean, the inner of its human body is empty to let ash in through the figurine’s right arm. Every part of the lamp can be detached and its delicate figure is quite different from the previous bronze wares. Presumed from its inscription, the lamp was made for the Marquis Liu Jie in 172BC; later, it was owned by Queen Mother Dou and finally it was presented to the sovereign lord Liu Sheng’s wife Dou Wan as her funerary object. Blue and White Porcelain vase collected by Hebei Folk-Custom Museum The Blue and White Porcelain vase was collected from civilian collections in the 1980s. As far as is known there are only three blue and white porcelain vases of the Yongle Reign of Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) in existence in China now. The vase in the Hebei Folk-Custom Museum is the best preserved one, which is ranked as national top cultural relic by experts. It is possibly a ritual object for Muslims and it was also used as flower vase in the late Qing Dynasty. Treasures in the museums of Hebei Province The Painting of Liu Hai playing with Golden Toad collected by Shijiazhuang Municipal Museum Ranked as national top cultural relic, The Painting of Liu Hai playing with Golden Toad is a work of the famous Ming Dynasty painter Liu Jun. Treasures in the museums of Hebei Province 181.3 cm long and 108.8 cm wide, the silk painting was painted with an ancient Chinese Taoist Liu Hai wearing a long gown and tying cucurbit and glossy ganoderma to his waist, floating upon the waves with a golden toad in his left hand, which outlined the fairyism of Liu Hai. Liu Jun is an outstanding painter from the Ming Dynasty, but his works were rarely handed down, until now only one of his paintings is in the Palace Museum. Therefore, this painting collected by the Shijiazhuang Municipal Museum is very precious. Bronze Horses collected by Handan Municipal Museum Treasures in the museums of Hebei Province This group of bronze horses was made in the Warring States (475-221BC), 15-18 cm in height and 22-24 in length. They either walk with their heads up or stand with their heads bent. Besides elegant postures and powerful bodies, their facial features and horse mane were engraved very clear as well, showing the exquisite workmanship and aesthetic sense of ancient people. Carved Rosewood Hanging panel knitting with flowers and birds collected by Chengde Mountain Resort Museum The Carved Rosewood Hanging Panel Knitting with Flowers and Birds featured with rare material, exquisite skills, vivid patterns and brilliant colors is an excellent collection. With a long history in China, hanging panels is a handicraft together with engraving, inlay and knitting. They reached a new level in the reign of Qianlong of Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), their material ranging from ivories, pearls, jades to enamel, jadeite and rosewood. Since most of the patterns for the hanging panel were adopted from famous painters’ sketches and some of them embraced the aesthetic taste of the emperor, the craftsmen needed to get the emperor’s permission when the hanging panels were to be produced.
Gilt Bronze Human-Shaped Lamp
Time: Western Han Dynasty (206 B.C. -24 A.D.) Specification: 48 centimeters Excavation: the tomb of Dou Wan, wife of Liu Sheng, in Mancheng County, Hebei Province, in 1968 Collection place: Hebei Provincial Museum Both Liu Sheng and Dou Wan were buried with extensive provisions for the afterlife, including 18 bronze lamps. Lamps were highly valued, as they shed light on the enclosed world of the tomb chamber. One lamp was in the shape of a kneeling ram, another in the shape of a bird holding a dish. This one, from Dou Wan's tomb, is in the shape of a maidservant holding a lamp. The elegant young woman wears a long dress with wide sleeves, and a scarf tied around her neck. Her hair is tucked up under a square cap. Her face is calm and serene, as she kneels to offer light. The gilt bronze finish contributes additional luminosity. Inscriptions on the lamp refer to the Changxi palace, the residence of the Empress Dowager, and the lamp was probably a gift from the empress to Dou Wan. On a practical level, the maidservant's right sleeve traps smoke from the burning lamp oil and channels it into the hollow body. A lower tray allows the direction of the light to be adjusted. The whole mechanism breaks down into six parts for cleaning. The lamp is both a functional object and a beautiful work of art.
Relics of China
Even if you don't have the chance to travel all around China to see the country's rich cultural relics, you may still see a lot by just go to the Shanghai Expo where more than one hundred pieces of country or provincial level cultural artifacts are on display for visitors. In hopes of demonstrating the excellence and magnificence of their cultural legacy, 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions have not skimped on bringing and showing their greatest local treasures to Expo visitors. Some of them are such valuable cultural items that the Chinese government prohibits them from being exhibited overseas – for example, the bronze chariot and horse unearthed near the mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shihuang; the gilt bronze human-shaped lamp belonging to the royal family of the Western Han Dynasty; and the Zeng Houyi bronze bell produced almost 2,500 years ago which can still make beautiful music today. Here are our suggestions to some must sees at the Expo. The ten treasures of Dunhuang Venue: Pavilion of Footprint in Zone D Ten Buddhist treasures from Dunhuang City of Gansu Province, including five sculptures and five scriptures, made their debut at the Expo Park on April 20. Only two of the five Dunhuang Buddhist scriptures will be displayed for the duration of the 184-day exhibition; the other three will be displayed by rotation. The five sculptures include a wooden six-armed avalokitesvara, or "enlightenment-being"; this sort of relic is quite rare in Dunhuang. The wooden six-armed avalokitesvara Gilt Bronze Human-shaped Lamp Venue: China Pavilion The Gilt Bronze Human-shaped Lamp is one of the most precious relics found in the Hebei Provincial Museum. Excavated from the Western Han Royal Tomb in Mancheng County, Hebei, China in 1968, the relic is a bronze lamp that was used in the Changxin Palace in Chang'an during the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. – A.D.220). The lamp is an excellent example of the bronze art developed during the Han Dynasty. In 2002, it was listed by the Chinese government as one of 64 cultural relics prohibited from being exhibited overseas.
Knowledge Graph
Examples
1 The delicate founded gold-plating Gilt Bronze Human-shaped Lamp is not only a utility ware, but also an excellent work of the bronze art in the Han Dynasty.
2 Gilt Bronze Human-shaped Lamp, excavated in West Hang Royal Tomb in Mancheng County, Hebei, China in 1968, is a bronze lamp used in Changxin Palace in Chang’an in the Han Dynasty.
3 The shape of the Gilt Bronze Human-shaped Lamp is a maid holding a lamp for lighting the emperor and the lamp cover can be moved around to adjust the illumination direction.