What is the history of gold and silverware in China, and what are the characteristics of each dynast

China's gold and silver ware has begun to appear since the Shang Dynasty, and the characteristics of each dynasty are: the Shang Dynasty is small, the Spring and Autumn Period is novel, the Warring States period is prosperous, the Han Dynasty is exotic, the Tang Dynasty has a variety of styles, the Song Dynasty is elegant, and the Yuan Dynasty is exquisite.

When it comes to gold and silver jewelry, young girls nowadays think that only the old people of their grandmother's generation regard these things as treasures, while modern people prefer diamonds that can blind people's eyes. Although gold and silver jewelry is not pleasing now, in ancient times it was a symbol of power and wealth, and ordinary people could not have it in their lifetime. In the ancient times when productivity was so low, it was thankful that the common people could eat enough, and it was a luxury to be able to own a luxury ornament, which could only be realized in a dream.

In our initial understanding, the Xia and Shang periods were the heyday of bronze culture, and there was no gold and silver in that era, but the almighty historical promoter - archaeologists used dug gold leaf tigers to tell us that in fact, there were already gold leaf ornaments in the Shang Dynasty, but the number was too small for the royal family members to divide, so they were hidden relatively secretive and not easy to be discovered. Judging from the production process of this cultural relic, it is still relatively rough, and it is incomparable with the handicraft engraved on the bronze, indicating that this is the first time that human beings have carved on this material, and there is no experience yet.

With the discovery of a large number of gold and silver and the people's love for smelly beauty became stronger and stronger, gold and silver were gradually made into various ornaments, such as the hats of leaders and their wives, and the dragons embroidered by hand with gold thread on the leaders' clothes, which could only be used by those with the highest status. With the continuous development of culture and handicrafts, gold and silver products gradually flowed into the people. In order to meet the needs of different consumers, the style of jewelry has also increased, and the carved finished products have become more and more exquisite, and national elements have been added in the later period, so it can be said that the development of gold and silver can also show the development of history.

The prosperity and development of bronze crafts in the Shang and Zhou dynasties laid a solid material and technical foundation for the development of gold and silverware, and the development of bronze, jade carving, lacquerware and other crafts also promoted the development of gold and silver crafts during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, and social changes brought about major changes in the field of production and life. The appearance of a large number of incorrect gold and silver objects has almost become a sign of the high level of craftsmanship in this period.

Each dynasty is different from each dynasty, and gold and silver ware has developed and gotten better and better. More and more expensive.

Tang Dynasty gold and silverware is a splendid treasure in ancient arts and crafts. The decoration of gold and silver patterns in the Tang Dynasty shows the characteristics of rich content, beautiful shape, reasonable layout, and diverse decorative forms. The Tang Dynasty gold and silver patterns were widely decorated, the most important of which was the application of realistic decorative patterns.

Realistic patterns include animals, plants and other three categories, with beautiful patterns and vivid images, and a specific historical period is endowed with a certain special meaning.

Animal motifs are composed of fantasy images, wild animals, aquariums, rare birds, etc. Fantasy images include dragons, phoenixes, unicorns, and more. The images of dragons and phoenixes are mostly decorated on royal items.

Unicorn, commonly known as warding off evil spirits, legend has it that it has a single horn first, which can distinguish between good and evil, distinguish between right and wrong, and the main is righteous. There are lions, rhinos, sheep, deer, foxes, rabbits, etc. The lion is the king of beasts; The sheep takes its homonym in the pattern, which means auspicious.

The aquarium is decorated with fish, turtles, sea beasts and other patterns. People often name the turtle for its longevity. Rare birds have peacocks, parrots, mandarin ducks and other bird patterns.

Peacock genus Ryori; Parrots can speak. The mandarin duck is the main pattern of birds on the gold and silver ware of the Tang Dynasty, which contains the wish of a hundred years of good luck and never separation.

The botanical motifs in the Tang Dynasty gold and silver ware are also abundant, which contain people's beautiful yearning for a happy life and the pursuit of health and longevity. Peony is a symbol of the pursuit of wealth; The lotus flower is in the mud and is not stained; Pomegranate is a multi-seeded plant, which has the meaning of progeny.

Other types of patterns and decorative images mainly include mountains, clouds, and figures. The shapes of the clouds are diverse, including ruyi clouds, harmony clouds and other forms, which fully express the rich artistic imagination and creativity of gold and silver craftsmen.

The Tang Dynasty gold and silver patterns are decorated with vivid charm, dynamic and beautiful, and a strong sense of decoration. Taking the dragon as an example, since the dragon is a symbol of the royal family, the craftsmen are also more elaborate and particular about the depiction of the dragon, especially the image of the dragon in the Tang Dynasty. During this period, the image of the dragon was often shaped into a huge head, long horns, a tiger's mouth, eagle claws, and a reckless body, integrating various animal characteristics and integration.

Both the head, torso, and claws all show the momentum and powerful deterrent power of the dragon flying through the air, piercing through the clouds and fog.

The production and processing techniques of gold and silver ware in the Tang Dynasty are also complex and ingenious. At that time, hammering, casting, welding, cutting, polishing, riveting, plating, engraving, hollowing and other processes were widely used. It can be seen from the unearthed Tang Dynasty gold and silver ware that the decoration technology has reached a very high level, and some of them have been used to this day.

While these skills continue to develop, ** institutions also support the production of gold and silverware. In the early Tang Dynasty, gold and silver workshops were established in the imperial court, and a large number of craftsmen were gathered to learn from each other and complement each other's strengths. And the manufacture of things in this kind of institution can be completely unaffected by external material conditions, which greatly promotes the development of gold and silverware.

Since the Northern and Southern Dynasties, Hu Feng prevailed, and the royal family and nobles especially liked Western treasured utensils. Foreign cultures and artworks had a profound impact on daily life customs and aesthetic requirements, and the atmosphere continued until the Tang Dynasty. At the same time, on the other hand, due to the prosperity and development of the Silk Road, the frequent commercial and trade exchanges between China and foreign countries have been in this special.

The production and development of Chinese silverware has gone through a long history, and the development of silver culture has been long and brilliant. According to the unearthed silverware, our ancestors have begun to use silverware in the Western Zhou Dynasty.

At that time, there was a silver horse crown with a height of centimeters and a width of centimeters, which was very exquisitely made and could be called a stunning work. The crown of the horse is an ornament tied to the horse's forehead in ancient times, generally in the shape of a fan, decorated with animal faces, and the edges are pierced with many holes, which are used to wear ropes in order to be tied to the horse's head. Horse crowns were mainly popular in the early Western Zhou Dynasty and were mostly copper.

This crown is made of silver, which is really rare. The silverware of this period was simply silver ornaments, which were actually beaten silver pieces. However, it was this simple silver piece that created a precedent for Chinese silverware manufacturing.

Sterling silver is a beautiful silvery-white metal, one of the first metals discovered by humans. Silver is highly malleable and can be crushed into transparent silver foil only centimeters thick, and 1 gram of silver can be drawn into filaments about 2 kilometers long. People take advantage of this easy-to-process property of silver and process it into a variety of silverware and ornaments to enrich people's lives.

Silver ornaments are the go-to gift for newborn babies, and some people feed their children with silver spoons. It turns out that silver ions can kill bacteria. As little as 2 billionths of a gram of silver per litre of water can kill most bacteria.

A few billionths of a gram of silver can make a liter of water clean. Herders often use silver bowls for mare's milk, which can be left for a long time without turning sour. More than 2,000 years ago, people knew to cover the wound with silver flakes to sterilize them.

**Not only can it be made into daily necessities, but it can also be used to make decorations. Our ancestors made a lot of silverware, and its shapes are either simple and elegant, or exquisite, or novel and unique, which can be described as colorful. The ornamentation of silverware is either dense and magnificent, unpretentious, or magnificent.

Sometimes, the ornamentation on the silverware is matched with the embellishments of various colored gemstones, making the whole object even more golden.

I think it was the Spaniards who pioneered silversmithing in China; In ancient China, silver was mainly used as a currency in circulation, used to exchange goods, and later also made into silver bowls, silver chopsticks and other items.

The production and use of silver jewelry in ancient times set a precedent. The ancients would first use some silverware to make some jewelry, and after the craft was more mature, they would use these silverware to make dishes and chopsticks, and also to make some ornaments.

In the Warring States Period, there was such a gold and silver craft as inlay decoration on bronze, the Han Dynasty called white gold, 16 valleys already had silver tableware, the Tang Dynasty was the heyday of China's development, there were many types of silverware, there were bowls, plates, cups, pots, pots, and pots, and in the Yuan Dynasty, porcelain was widely used, so that the production of silver gradually declined.

In the Western Zhou Dynasty, there was already the appearance of silverware, most of the silverware shaping is more likely to be welcomed by many people, ancient people will make a variety of utensils, a variety of ornaments.

Summary. The hierarchical concept embodied is: gold and silverware have practical value, ornamental value and monetary value because of their precious materials and gorgeous appearance.

In ancient China, people believed that gold as an edible vessel could prolong life, and having luxurious gold and silver utensils was also a symbol of power and wealth. The value of gold and silver is also such that only a relatively small number of people can own it. The ancients regarded rarity as precious, and preciousness as beauty.

Gold and silver ornaments are exquisitely crafted, gorgeous and lovely, and are very favored by men and women in ancient times. In terms of funerals, the ancients also hoped to have gold and silver as burial objects, on the one hand, it was the embodiment of status level, and on the other hand, the ancients also believed that gold and silver had a very good antiseptic effect.

The hierarchical concept embodied is: because of the precious materials and gorgeous appearance, gold and silver ware has the practical value, ornamental value and monetary value of the rock palace. In ancient China, people believed that gold as an edible vessel could prolong life, and having luxurious gold and silver utensils was also a symbol of power and wealth.

The value of gold and silver is also such that only a relatively small number of people can own it. The ancients regarded rarity as precious, and preciousness as beauty. Gold and silver ornaments are exquisitely crafted, gorgeous and lovely, and are very favored by men and women in ancient times.

In terms of funeral, the ancients also hoped that there would be gold and silver sources and silverware as rough cracked rock as burial goods, on the one hand, it was the embodiment of the status level, and on the other hand, the ancients also believed that gold and silver artifacts had a very good antiseptic effect.

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Looking at the history and achievements of gold and silver ware production and use in Beijing, it can be seen that from the individual discovery of gold artifacts in the earliest Liujiahe tomb period to the superb and brilliant achievements of gold and silver craftsmanship in the era, the development trajectory of gold and silver production and use in Beijing is generally consistent with the development of Beijing's history. From its beginnings, gold and silverware appeared, that is, mainly high-end items enjoyed by the upper strata of society, especially the imperial court and the royal family, as other symbols of status and wealth; At the same time, as a special craft, the carving and processing of gold and silverware are not only closely related to the aesthetic taste of high fashion, but also a reflection of the needs of the royal and aristocratic families. At the same time, due to the guidance and penetration of high-class fashion, as well as the inherent delicacy of gold and silverware, it is also deeply loved and treasured by the people.

Its vivid shapes and exquisite craftsmanship reflect the rich imagination and creativity of skilled craftsmen. The masterpieces of ingenuity add luster to the historical and cultural city of Beijing.