Beijing Cultural Relics Essence Series · Gold and Silver Volume

Author: Editorial Committee of "The Essence of Beijing Cultural Relics"
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-06-01
Features: Beijing is the capital of the People's Republic of China and a world-renowned historical and cultural city. Over the long course of its history, Beijing has created a splendid civilization and formed its own unique culture. The existing cultural relics in Beijing are abundant and invaluable, serving as witnesses to the creation of history by the people, the material of Beijing culture, and an extremely important part of the cultural heritage of the Chinese nation. Statistics show that the cultural relics stored in Beijing's museums and cultural institutions alone number over 2 million pieces, while those buried underground and scattered among the people are even more numerous, with many new discoveries made in recent years. These cultural relics are extremely precious for people to understand and appreciate Beijing, as well as for promoting the culture of the Chinese nation and Beijing itself. For years, although these cultural relics have been well-preserved, they have been difficult to display, with only a small number on display in museums. For those who love Beijing and its cultural relics, not being able to see these treasures is a great regret. Beijing's cultural relics are renowned worldwide for their profound cultural connotations and the abundance of high-quality pieces. Through various forms, showcasing Beijing's cultural relic collections is the responsibility of cultural relic workers to pass on historical and cultural information. The "The Essence of Beijing Cultural Relics" published in collaboration by the Beijing Cultural Relics Bureau and Beijing Publishing House is an effort in this regard. "The Essence of Beijing Cultural Relics" selects thousands of exquisite cultural relics from the collections of various cultural institutions in Beijing, categorizing and publishing them in separate volumes. This not only meets the needs of cultural relic enthusiasts but also provides a comprehensive and in-depth promotion of Beijing culture. This is also an important project in the development of Beijing's cultural construction.
I. "The Essence of Beijing Cultural Relics: Gold and Silver Ware Volume" selects 182 exquisite gold and silver wares from the Shang Dynasty to the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
II. Most of the cultural relics selected in this volume are not held by the Capital Museum, with the remainder coming from the Dingling Museum and other museums and institutions in Beijing.
III. The gold and silver wares selected are arranged in the order of era, type, and style in the layout. Those with definite archaeological findings and dating are listed before the contemporaneous pieces.
IV. The naming of the gold and silver wares follows the principles of archaeological excavation reports and the names provided by the cultural institutions that own the collections.
V. This volume includes "An Overview of Gold and Silver Ware in Beijing" and "Gold and Silver Ware Discovered in Dingling" as introductory and specialized essays. The illustrations are accompanied by captions and appendices that provide introductions to the names, eras, discovery sites, craftsmanship, and current locations of the gold and silver wares.