Design Achievements and Experiences in Ancient China

The design of gold and silverware in the Tang Dynasty is an example of successful design in ancient China

The production of gold and silverware in the Tang Dynasty was divided into "official production" and "line production". "Official" that is, by the shaofu supervisor in the Shangzhu directly under the "gold and silver workshop courtyard" is responsible for. "line work" that is, the gold and silver industry artisan products. The above round carving works of complex technology, clever design, production excellence, whether "official", to be further study. At the same time, due to these works are heirlooms, the lack of scientific archaeological excavation basis, so in the specific production stage of the judgment is difficult. But we can from its modeling, burin decoration of the popular time as well as documentary evidence to explore the clues (due to the relationship between the length of the piece, to be unfolded later). As for its function, no doubt, it and other gold and silverware, in addition to meet the display ornamental, daily life, but also in its special value of the social function. To quote the words of Mr. Qi Dongfang: gold and silver and its artifacts have "become widely used in gifts, offerings, bounties, taxes, the best items, as a medium of foreign exchanges, the economic system, political struggles, and directly involved in social life and even major political life ...... ". This aspect is evidenced by history and need not be repeated.

In addition, there is a Tang generation of gold and silver production is highly developed, from the literature, when the production of a huge number, whether it is the local into the worship or the royal bounty of gold and silver to play are in the minority, why for a long time the Tang tomb unearthed very few of this discovery? Successive generations of grave robbers crazy excavation is certainly a factor, but the fundamental reason may also lie in the prevalence of Tang Dynasty style of burials, up to the emperors and generals, down to the people of the common people, on the martyrdom of the goods are not hesitate to pour money to seek, so that the government had to expressly prohibit. Tang six canon" volume 28: "Where the funeral is for its genus of bright ware,...... all to tile wood for the". The Tang Hui Yao " volume 38 recorded in the 29th year of the Kaiyuan in addition to the edict promulgated: "three products above the Ming ware, ...... all to plain tiles, shall not be used and gold, silver, copper and tin ...... ". Understanding the historical background of the time, this problem is not difficult to understand.

In the gorgeous Tang Dynasty gold and silver, animal modeling and the use of shaping is not the mainstream, but its superb production skills, imaginative artistic conception, but the human handmade art to reach the peak of the specific performance, in the Tang Dynasty gold and silver production history occupies an important position.