This museum has a diverse and extensive collection of relics found in Shaanxi Province. This spoon is from the Shang Dynasty (1700-1027 BC) , a period when bronze working reached its height in China. A tiger and a dog travel across the handle toward the bowl, while the very end of the handle is in the shape of a sheep's head.

Many objects for everyday use also had fanciful shapes, like this ox shaped wine container made of bronze. His tongue is the spout, a tiger on his back forms the lid, and his tail is the handle.

In the Zhou Dynasty, which followed the Shang Dynasty, many articles were still made of bronze. Chimes like this one were made in sets of graduated sizes, each tuned to a specific note. The chimes were suspended from a frame and played by striking them with a mallet. You can see a reproduction of a set of these chimes being played on our "Drum Tower and Bell Tower" page.

This tiger from the Warring States Period (475 - 221 BC) had an interesting purpose. The figure can be split in half down his back. When a general took troops into the field, he took half of the tiger with him. When the king wanted to send him instructions, he would send a messenger with the other half of the tiger. If both halves of the tiger fit together properly, the general knew the message was genuinely from his ruler.

This little golden woodpecker is slightly more than half an inch tall, yet the details on his beak and feathers are clear and lifelike. We were told that tiny objects like this were put in people's mouths when they were prepared for burial.

The famous Terra-Cotta Warriors were made to guard the tomb of Qin Shihuang, founder of the Qin Dynasty and first emperor of China. The terra cotta warriors in this picture are from a tomb of the Han Dynasty, which followed the Qin. Although they are smaller and less grand, they served the same purpose.

Many pottery pieces have lost their color over the years, and others begin to fade once they are exposed to the air again. This pot, however, retains it's bright orange hue, even though it is 2000 years old.

Personal seals, or what we call "chops" in English, were dipped in red ink and used to sign documents or artwork.. Seals of important people were often made from precious materials like gold or jade. The paper in the background is an enlargement of the imprint made by this small gold seal.

We were intrigued by many things about this Tang Dynasty (618 - 907 AD) dancer - her hairstyle, her clothes, her hand position. Many beautiful ceramic works were made during this time period, including the famous Tang Dynasty tri-colored pottery.

This ding, or cooking pot, is made from a unique material. Although we have seen many of these vessels made of bronze, this is the first we have ever seen made of porcelain.

Copyright 2006, Dr. Lee Williams

Last Modified: 10 February 2006

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