Why is the design of gold and silver wares in Tang Dynasty a successful example of ancient Chinese design?

The production of gold and silver vessels in Tang Dynasty can be divided into "official work" and "line work". The "official work" is the responsibility of the "gold and silver workshop" directly under Shaofu Prison. "Zuo Hang" is the product of artisans in the gold and silver industry. The above-mentioned round carving works are complex in technology, ingenious in design and fine in production. Whether it is an "official work" needs further study. At the same time, because these works are handed down from ancient times and lack scientific archaeological basis, it is difficult to judge the specific production stage. However, we can explore the clues from its shape, the popular time of carving, literature research and so on (due to the film, we will expand later). As for its function, there is no doubt that it, like other gold and silver vessels, not only meets the needs of display and daily life, but also lies in the social function produced by its special value. Mr. Qi Dongfang was quoted as saying that gold and silver and their products have become the best articles widely used for gifts, sacrifices, rewards and taxes, and as the media of foreign exchanges, economic systems and political struggles, they directly participate in social life and even major political life. This point is proved by history, and I don't need to go into details.

In addition, the production of gold and silver wares in the Tang Dynasty was highly developed. According to documents, a large number of gold and silver utensils were produced at that time, and there were also many gold and silver utensils donated by the local government or the royal family. Why is this discovery rarely found in Tang tombs for a long time? The crazy excavation of grave robbers in the past dynasties is certainly a factor, but the fundamental reason may be that the heavy burial prevailed in the Tang Dynasty, and emperors, generals and ordinary people spared no expense to find sacrificial objects, so that the government had to explicitly ban them. The Six Classics of the Tang Dynasty was published for twenty-eight years: "All mourning belongs to the mourning, and …… all are made of tiles.". Volume 38 of Tang Yao Hui records another decree issued in the 29th year of Kaiyuan: "All funerary wares above the third grade shall be visited by the public, and gold, silver, copper and tin are not allowed." . Knowing the historical background at that time, this problem is not difficult to understand.

Although the modeling and application of animal models are not the mainstream in the gorgeous gold and silver wares in the Tang Dynasty, their superb production skills and imaginative artistic conception are the concrete embodiment of the pinnacle of human manual art, which occupies an important position in the history of gold and silver wares in the Tang Dynasty.

References:

Qi Dongfang: A Study of Gold and Silver Wares in Tang Dynasty, China Social Sciences Press, 1999.