Beijing Treasures of Cultural Relics: Gold and Silver Volume

Author: Editorial Committee of "Masterpieces of Beijing Cultural Relics," Beijing Municipal Bureau of Cultural Relics
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-04-01
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 extremely precious, 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 in recent years. These cultural relics are invaluable 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 precious artifacts is a great regret. Beijing's cultural relics are renowned worldwide for their profound cultural significance 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 "Masterpieces of Beijing Cultural Relics" published in collaboration by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Cultural Relics and Beijing Publishing House is an effort in this regard. The "Masterpieces of Beijing Cultural Relics" selects thousands of outstanding artifacts from the collections of Beijing's museums and cultural institutions, 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 initiative is also an important project in the development of Beijing's cultural heritage.
I. "Masterpieces of Beijing Cultural Relics: Gold and Silver Volumes" selects 182 gold and silver artifacts from the Shang Dynasty to the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
II. Most of the artifacts selected in this volume are not from the collection of the Capital Museum, with the remainder from the Dingling Museum and other museums and institutions in Beijing.
III. The gold and silver artifacts are arranged in the layout in chronological order by era, type, and style. Artifacts with clear archaeological excavation records and dates are listed before contemporaneous artifacts.
IV. The naming of gold and silver artifacts follows the principles of archaeological excavation reports and the names provided by the institutions that own the collections.
V. This volume includes "An Overview of Gold and Silver Artifacts in Beijing" and "Gold and Silver Artifacts Unearthed from Dingling" as introductory and specialized essays. The illustrations are accompanied by captions and appendices, providing introductions to the names, dates, discovery sites, craftsmanship, and current locations of the gold and silver artifacts.