Treasure Canons · TC12

Coins and Measures

Coins, note plates, weights and export porcelain: trade and trust told through objects

35treasures

10dynasties

23institutions

This canon collects treasures of commerce and trade: coins and note plates across the dynasties, weights that set the standard of exchange, porcelain made for export, textiles and gold and silver from the Silk Road, and trade archives such as overseas remittance letters. Coins fixed value and measures fixed quantity; together these objects record the reach and trust of ancient commerce.

Representative treasures

35 treasures
Tang dynasty · Gems & Precious StonesAgate Rhyton with Animal HeadAn agate drinking horn in Silk Road fashionShaanxi History MuseumTE10020Northern Song dynasty · Genre & Ruled-Line PaintingZhang Zeduan, Along the River During the Qingming FestivalThe bustle of the Song capital in a single scrollPalace MuseumTE10039Eastern Han to Wei-Jin · Silk & Brocade"Five Stars Rising in the East Benefit China" Brocade Arm GuardAn auspicious phrase woven in silk, found in a desert tombXinjiang Institute of Cultural Relics and ArchaeologyTE10047Tang dynasty · Tomb FiguresSancai Camel Carrying Musicians from the Tomb of Xianyu TinghaiA Tang band on camelbackNational Museum of ChinaTE10052Warring States, Qin (344 BCE) · Weights & MeasuresShang Yang Square Sheng MeasureA measure that served two Qin reformsShanghai MuseumTE10060Western Han dynasty · Censers & Other MetalworkCowrie Container with Human Sacrifice SceneA Dian sacrifice frozen in bronzeYunnan Provincial MuseumTE10098Eastern Han dynasty · Censers & Other MetalworkBronze Money Tree from MianyangA money tree reaching for the immortalsMianyang MuseumTE10101Western Han dynasty · Censers & Other MetalworkCowrie Container with Oath-taking SceneA Dian oath sworn by over a hundred figuresNational Museum of ChinaTE10102Warring States, sixth year of King Huai of Chu (323 BCE) · Tallies & TokensE Jun Qi TalliesA Chu lord's tax-free pass by land and waterNational Museum of ChinaTE10147Five Dynasties · Celadon WaresYaozhou Ware Makara-shaped Water PotA sea monster from Indian myth in celadonLiaoning Provincial MuseumTE10170Tang dynasty · Celadon WaresChangsha Ware Ewer with Applied FiguresA Changsha ewer with applied figuresHunan MuseumTE10173Tang dynasty · Celadon WaresChangsha Ware Jar with Brown and Blue Cloud DesignA rare touch of Tang blueYangzhou MuseumTE10174

Ceramics

11 treasures
Tang dynasty · Tomb FiguresSancai Camel Carrying Musicians from the Tomb of Xianyu TinghaiA Tang band on camelbackNational Museum of ChinaTE10052Five Dynasties · Celadon WaresYaozhou Ware Makara-shaped Water PotA sea monster from Indian myth in celadonLiaoning Provincial MuseumTE10170Tang dynasty · Celadon WaresChangsha Ware Ewer with Applied FiguresA Changsha ewer with applied figuresHunan MuseumTE10173Tang dynasty · Celadon WaresChangsha Ware Jar with Brown and Blue Cloud DesignA rare touch of Tang blueYangzhou MuseumTE10174Tang dynasty · Celadon WaresCeladon Ewer with Phoenix Head and Dragon HandleA ewer where Persia meets ChinaPalace MuseumTE10176Lê dynasty (Vietnam) · White WaresWhite Porcelain Bowl with Stamped Chrysanthemum, Vietnamese Lê DynastyA Vietnamese bowl among Taipei's treasuresNational Palace MuseumTE10184Southern Song dynasty · Black & Tea WaresYohen Tenmoku Tea Bowl (Inaba Tenmoku)A starry sky in black glazeSeikado Bunko Art MuseumTE10185Southern Song dynasty · Black & Tea WaresYohen Tenmoku Tea Bowl (Fujita Museum)The Fujita bowl among the threeFujita MuseumTE10186Southern Song dynasty · Black & Tea WaresOil-spot Tenmoku Tea Bowl, Museum of Oriental Ceramics, OsakaA bowl of shimmering silver spotsMuseum of Oriental Ceramics, OsakaTE10187Northern Yan · GlassDuck-shaped Glass VesselA Roman glass duck in a Northern Yan tombLiaoning Provincial MuseumTE10204Tang dynasty · Tomb FiguresSancai Camel with Musicians from Zhongbao VillageA Tang band on a camel's backShaanxi History MuseumTE10644

Brushwork

7 treasures
Northern Song dynasty · Genre & Ruled-Line PaintingZhang Zeduan, Along the River During the Qingming FestivalThe bustle of the Song capital in a single scrollPalace MuseumTE10039Tang, 781 · Steles & RubbingsNestorian SteleA Christian stele from Tang Chang'anXi'an Beilin MuseumTE10266Ming dynasty · Steles & RubbingsStele of Shen Yourong Ordering the Dutch under Wijbrand van Waerwijck to WithdrawA stone that records a fleet turned awayPenghu Tianhou TempleTE10271Tang dynasty · Figure PaintingYan Liben (attributed), Tribute BearersA long line of envoys from afarNational Palace MuseumTE10292Song dynasty · Landscape PaintingAnonymous Song, Mountain Market by a Sailing RiverDusk over a riverside mountain townNational Palace MuseumTE10385Southern Song, 1210 · Genre & Ruled-Line PaintingLi Song, The Knick-knack Peddler (Album)The peddler and his hundred waresNational Palace MuseumTE10496Qing dynasty · Genre & Ruled-Line PaintingChen Mei, Sun Hu, Jin Kun, Dai Hong and Cheng Zhidao, Along the River During the Qingming Festival (Qing Court Version)An eleven-metre city scroll for the young QianlongNational Palace MuseumTE10501

Books

3 treasures
Han dynasty · Bamboo Slips & Silk TextsXuanquan Han SlipsThe guest book of a Silk Road post stationGansu Bamboo and Wooden Slips MuseumTE10517Wu of the Three Kingdoms · Bamboo Slips & Silk TextsZoumalou Wu SlipsThree Kingdoms registers and ledgers from an old wellChangsha Bamboo and Wooden Slips MuseumTE10521Southern Song, Jiading to Jingding reigns (1208-1264) · Rare Printed BooksCollected Minor Works of Southern Song WorthiesPoets gathered by a Southern Song booksellerNational Central LibraryTE10570

Textiles

5 treasures
Eastern Han to Wei-Jin · Silk & Brocade"Five Stars Rising in the East Benefit China" Brocade Arm GuardAn auspicious phrase woven in silk, found in a desert tombXinjiang Institute of Cultural Relics and ArchaeologyTE10047Northern dynasties · Silk & BrocadeBrocade with Animals in GridWoven beasts in a silk gridXinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region MuseumTE10621Northern dynasties · Silk & BrocadeRed-ground Brocade with Sun God in Pearl RoundelsA sun god in pearl roundelsQinghai Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and ArchaeologyTE10623Northern Song dynasty · GarmentsBrocade Robe with Eagle RoundelsA Song brocade robe kept by the desertPalace MuseumTE10639Han dynasty · GarmentsRed Wool Robe with Paired Figures, Animals and TreesThe red wool robe of YingpanXinjiang Institute of Cultural Relics and ArchaeologyTE10640

Sculpture

4 treasures
Tang dynasty · Tomb FiguresSancai Camel Carrying Musicians from the Tomb of Xianyu TinghaiA Tang band on camelbackNational Museum of ChinaTE10052Western Han dynasty · Censers & Other MetalworkCowrie Container with Human Sacrifice SceneA Dian sacrifice frozen in bronzeYunnan Provincial MuseumTE10098Western Han dynasty · Censers & Other MetalworkCowrie Container with Oath-taking SceneA Dian oath sworn by over a hundred figuresNational Museum of ChinaTE10102Tang dynasty · Tomb FiguresSancai Camel with Musicians from Zhongbao VillageA Tang band on a camel's backShaanxi History MuseumTE10644

Implements

5 treasures
Warring States, Qin (344 BCE) · Weights & MeasuresShang Yang Square Sheng MeasureA measure that served two Qin reformsShanghai MuseumTE10060Five Dynasties · Celadon WaresYaozhou Ware Makara-shaped Water PotA sea monster from Indian myth in celadonLiaoning Provincial MuseumTE10170Xin dynasty, 1st year of Shijianguo (AD 9) · Weights & MeasuresStandard Measure of Wang Mang, JialiangWang Mang's standard of measureNational Palace MuseumTE10676Tang dynasty, 8th century · Musical InstrumentsFive-stringed Pipa of Red Sandalwood with Mother-of-pearl InlayThe only five-string pipa of the TangShōsōin (Imperial Household Agency)TE10686Southern Song dynasty · Transport & HarnessNanhai One ShipwreckA Song merchant ship raised wholeMaritime Silk Road Museum of GuangdongTE10688

Types by dynasty

Where this canon's treasures fall by type and dynasty; click an ink dot to open that dynasty at that type.

Coins and Measures · Types by dynasty
ZhouHanThree KingdomsJinNorthern and SouthernTangFive Dynasties and Ten KingdomsSongMingQing
Metalwork3
Jades2
Ceramics11
Brushwork7
Books3
Furniture1
Textiles5
Sculpture4
Implements5
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