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Glories of The Celestial Empire:
Tang Dynasty Culture and The Silk Road

The magnanimity of Tang China is evident only in its cultural expressions, but also in its receptiveness to foreign influences. Extant artifacts of the Tang dynasty indicate that the notion of “global village” was current already at the time. Eurasian cultures learned from one another. Despite the Tang dynasty’s pre-eminence, it was accommodating of other civilizations and religions, and open to trade with them, and readily adopted the best of their arts and crafts. Displaying an extremely high level of sophistication, Tang artifacts provide material evidence of the cosmopolitanism of the period.

The objects in this exhibition range in medium and style. The gold and silver jewelry and vessels, writing implements and painted earthenware figurines embody the sumptuous aesthetics of Tang China. The horse ornaments, bronze mirrors, and pushou knockers reflect the cultural influence of the Western Regions. A bird-shaped lid, on the white-glazed handled pitcher, and other glazed earthenware objects are evidence of China's interactions with faraway Europe. The coins from China and elsewhere, bearing inscriptions and images, demonstrate the rich connections between the various Eurasian regions and are of immeasurable cultural value. The fragments of Buddhist sculptures and tomb inscriptions are precious evidence of the flourishing of Buddhism and other foreign religions in Tang China.

The rich variety of the objects paints a comprehensive picture of Tang China’s relationships with other regions. More than competing, they helped each other grow. All this was possible because of the Silk Road, which arose during the Western Han dynasty and reached its peak during the Tang. This exhibition is no less than a celebration of the Silk Road, along which goods and culture alike travelled. Emissaries and students from Silla and Japan, Tang China’s eastern neighbors, also left their mark.

The objects in this exhibition bespeak the glories of the celestial empire. Let us now travel along the Silk Road together and uncover the cultural riches of the Tang dynasty.

Explore the Exhibits
A Pair of Gilt-Bronze
Knockers (Pushou)
Tang
L: 47cm(W); 71cm(H)
R: 31cm(W); 58cm(H)
A Pair of Gilt-Bronze
Knockers (Pushou)
Tang
L: 47cm(W); 71cm(H)
R: 31cm(W); 58cm(H)
This pair of large pushou knockers were likely installed on the front door of an aristocratic stone tomb. Carved with animal faces, they were meant to ward off thieves and evil spirits. A similar but smaller gilt knocker was excavated from the ruins of Daming Palace, now in the collection of the Xi'an Museum.
A Pair of Painted
Pottery Tomb
Guardian Creatures
Tang
L: 47cm(W); 71cm(H)
R: 31cm(W); 58cm(H)
A Pair of Painted
Pottery Tomb
Guardian Creatures
Tang
L: 47cm(W); 71cm(H)
R: 31cm(W); 58cm(H)
One of the tomb guardian creatures has a human face, while the other has an animal face. The latter has protruding eyes, flaring eyebrows, goat-like beards, large ears, small horns on its forehead, and two flame-like wings. Its chest and armpits are decorated with floral patterns. The human-faced creature is colorfully painted throughout, has horse-hoofs for feet, and is in a squatting pose. Large and stylistically distinctive, this pair of tomb guardian creatures are imposing and impressive. They were believed to protect the tomb against threats and disturbances from outside.
A Pair of Painted
Pottery Horses
Tang
L: 83cm(W); 89cm(H)
R: 79cm(W); 76cm(H)
A Pair of Painted
Pottery Horses
Tang
L: 83cm(W); 89cm(H)
R: 79cm(W); 76cm(H)
Sculptured in accurate proportions, these two horse figurines have robust bodies, with muscular chests and abdomens, round rumps, and strong legs. They strike spirited and naturalistic poses. The Tang dynasty regularly received thousands of horses as tributes from its neighbors like Kangju and Tibet. These tribute horses were often of fine and robust breeds such as these.
Painted Pottery
Grooms
Tang
L to R:
66cm(H); 64cm(H); 62cm(H); 68cm(H)
Painted Pottery
Grooms
Tang
L to R:
66cm(H); 64cm(H); 62cm(H); 68cm(H)
The grooms wear futou hats, jackets with tapered sleeves tied around the waist with sashes, trousers, and tall boots with pointed tips. With their raised arms and closed fists, they probably were designed to hold the reins of horses or camels. Traveling frequently between east and west, these traders and emissaries from the Western Regions also served as facilitators of cultural exchange.
Painted Pottery
Court Lady
Tang
47cm(H)
Painted Pottery
Court Lady
Tang
47cm(H)
This court lady wears ruqun attire, consisting of a jacket over a long skirt. She has a plump body, long and narrow eyes, a small mouth, and a round face with a calm expression. This full-bodied lady represents the standard of female beauty of the Kaiyuan era (A.D. 713-741) . Later depictions of female beauty tended to be overweight. The court lady's hair is arranged to surround her entire face densely in a style known as paojiaji, popular during the Middle and Late Tang dynasty.
A Bronze Mirror
with Auspicious
Creatures
Tang
23.5cm(D)
A Bronze Mirror
with Auspicious
Creatures
Tang
23.5cm(D)
The decorative programme of this bronze mirror is divided into an inner and an outer area by a high-relief loop of bowstring bands. The inner area features four pairs of auspicious creatures frolicking with each other around the central knob. Around the loop of bowstring bands is a circular inscription. Beyond the inscription are twelve auspicious creatures including a luan phoenix and a heavenly horse. The creatures are divided into four groups by floral motifs. (Text: Mengdiexuan)
Gold Hairpins
Tang
3.2cm(W); 10cm(L)
Gold Hairpins
Tang
3.2cm(W); 10cm(L)
Bird-and-flower motifs, dragons and phoenixes, and floral scrolls predominate in Tang metalware, which was often worked into a beaded texture and inlaid with gemstones. This pair of gold hairpins was filigreed with motifs of flowers and leaves and then inlaid with red, white, blue, and green glass and gemstones. The remaining space was filled with a fine beaded texture. (Text: Mengdiexuan)
Gongxian Ware
White Glazed
Amphora with
Dragon Handles
Tang
44cm(H)
Gongxian Ware
White Glazed
Amphora with
Dragon Handles
Tang
44cm(H)
This vase was produced in Gongyi County, Henan. Glazed in white, it is a precursor to white porcelain. The mouth features lion heads, and the main body is decorated with shallow reliefs of floral pattern—both origining from Central Asia. This object can be compared to amphorae of classical Greece. Curved handles with dragon heads run between the mouth and the shoulders. This vessel form was popular in Tang ceramics, especially during the early to middle Tang dynasty.
Green Glass Jug
Roman Empire
(circa A.D. 3rd-4th Century)
14.5cm(H)
Green Glass Jug
Roman Empire
(circa A.D. 3rd-4th Century)
14.5cm(H)
Roman glass production was based on Greek precedents. The first Roman glassware was dark in color. Around the first century A.D., Roman glassmakers had become technically sophisticated enough to produce colorless or light blue glassware, which became the mainstream. A small number of Roman glassware entered China through the Silk Road and became treasured objects of the Tang elite.
Kaiyuan Tongbao
Gilt-Copper Coin
Tang
2.5cm(D)
Kaiyuan Tongbao
Gilt-Copper Coin
Tang
2.5cm(D)
Kaiyuan Tongbao coins minted in gold or silver were generally not circulated as currency. Rather, they served as auspicious gifts in important rites within the palace. Such coins were gifted in the ceremonial of a new born baby, blessing the newlyweds and for ritual veneration. Gilt Kaiyuan Tongbaos may have served similar purposes as gold and silver Kaiyuan Tongbao coins, but were sometimes also used as burial goods.