Through the Dynasties · TH10

Tang

618–907 · Sancai camels and the dancing-horse flask: the splendour of the Silk Road

63treasures

8types

24institutions

Bronze, Gold & Silver

6 treasures
Tang dynasty · Gold & Silver VesselsSilver Flask with Dancing Horse Holding a CupThe horse that danced for the emperor's birthdayShaanxi History MuseumTE10014Tang dynasty · Censers & Other MetalworkBronze Pagoda from Famen TempleA bronze stupa that held the Buddha's relicFamen Temple MuseumTE10099Tang dynasty · Gold & Silver VesselsEight-fold Reliquary CasketsEight caskets around a sacred relicFamen Temple MuseumTE10104Tang dynasty · Gold & Silver VesselsGilt Silver Drinking-game Canister on a TortoiseA Tang drinking game played with the AnalectsZhenjiang MuseumTE10105Wu Zhou, 700 CE · Gold & Silver OrnamentsGold Slip of Wu ZetianAn empress's golden prayer on Mount SongHenan MuseumTE10107Tang dynasty · Religious ImagesGilt Silver Monk's Staff with Twelve RingsThe gilded staff that welcomed the Buddha's relicFamen Temple MuseumTE10654
Censers & Other Metalwork1Gold & Silver Vessels4Gold & Silver Ornaments1

Ceramics & Glass

8 treasures
Tang dynasty · Tomb FiguresSancai Camel Carrying Musicians from the Tomb of Xianyu TinghaiA Tang band on camelbackNational Museum of ChinaTE10052Tang dynasty · Celadon WaresYue Ware Celadon Five-footed Censer with Brown CloudsA censer from the tomb of the Wuyue king's motherLin'an MuseumTE10172Tang 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 MuseumTE10176Tang dynasty · Tomb FiguresSancai Black-glazed HorseA rare black horse of Tang sancaiLuoyang MuseumTE10643Tang dynasty · Tomb FiguresSancai Camel with Musicians from Zhongbao VillageA Tang band on a camel's backShaanxi History MuseumTE10644Tang dynasty · Musical InstrumentsLushan Ware Waist Drum with Blue Splashes on Black GlazeBlue clouds on black satinPalace MuseumTE10687
Historic Pottery & Sancai3Celadon Wares4Black & Tea Wares1

Calligraphy, Painting & Rubbings

26 treasures
Tang dynasty · Calligraphy OriginalsFeng Chengsu's Copy of the Orchid Pavilion PrefaceThe closest likeness of Wang Xizhi's lost masterpiecePalace MuseumTE10025Tang dynasty · Calligraphy OriginalsYan Zhenqing, Draft Requiem for My NephewGrief and fury among the crossings-outNational Palace MuseumTE10028Tang dynasty · Birds, Flowers & AnimalsHan Huang, Five OxenA Tang masterpiece bought back from Hong KongPalace MuseumTE10038Tang dynasty · Calligraphy OriginalsAscending the Yang TerraceThe one piece of writing in Li Bai's own handPalace MuseumTE10205Tang dynasty, dated 687 · Calligraphy OriginalsSun Guoting, Treatise on CalligraphyA theory of calligraphy written in cursiveNational Palace MuseumTE10212Tang dynasty · Calligraphy OriginalsXu Hao, Patent of Office for Zhu JuchuanA Tang official's letter of appointmentNational Palace MuseumTE10213Tang dynasty, copied in 697 · Calligraphy OriginalsTang Copy of Letters by Wang Xizhi's FamilyThe Wang family letters copied for Wu ZetianLiaoning Provincial MuseumTE10214Tang dynasty, 719 · Calligraphy OriginalsEmperor Xuanzong of Tang, Ode to the Pied WagtailsAn emperor's ode to his brothersNational Palace MuseumTE10215Tang dynasty, dated 648 · Calligraphy OriginalsGuo Quan, Sudassana VinayaA complete Tang sutra copy of 648Palace MuseumTE10216Tang dynasty · Calligraphy OriginalsHuaisu, Bitter Bamboo ShootsA monk's note asking for shoots and teaShanghai MuseumTE10235Tang dynasty, dated 777 · Calligraphy OriginalsHuaisu, AutobiographyHuaisu's whirlwind AutobiographyNational Palace MuseumTE10236Tang dynasty · Calligraphy OriginalsDu Mu, Poem to Zhang HaohaoThe one poem in Du Mu's own handPalace MuseumTE10245
Calligraphy Originals13Steles & Rubbings3Figure Painting6Birds, Flowers & Animals2Murals & Silk Paintings2

Books & Documents

16 treasures
Tang dynasty (868) · Rare Printed BooksDiamond Sutra of 868A Buddhist sutra printed in the year 868British LibraryTE10046Tang dynasty · Ritual JadesJade Book for the Earth Sacrifice of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Thirteenth Year of KaiyuanThe jade book of Tang Xuanzong's Mount Tai riteNational Palace MuseumTE10111Tang dynasty · Calligraphy OriginalsXu Hao, Patent of Office for Zhu JuchuanA Tang official's letter of appointmentNational Palace MuseumTE10213Tang dynasty, dated 648 · Calligraphy OriginalsGuo Quan, Sudassana VinayaA complete Tang sutra copy of 648Palace MuseumTE10216Sixteen Kingdoms to early Northern Song · ManuscriptsPelliot Collection of Dunhuang ManuscriptsThe Library Cave's most carefully chosen scrollsBibliothèque nationale de FranceTE10523Late Tang to Five Dynasties · ManuscriptsSutra of the Eight Yang Divine Mantras (Late Tang to Five Dynasties Manuscript Scroll)A sutra copied for departed parentsNational Central LibraryTE10524Tang dynasty · ManuscriptsGuanzhong Commentary on the Vimalakirti Sutra (Tang Manuscript Scroll)Lecture notes from a Shazhou monasteryNational Central LibraryTE10525Tang dynasty · ManuscriptsGuanzhong Notes on the Vimalakirti Sutra (Tang Manuscript Scroll)A commentary read by a Sanjie Temple monkNational Central LibraryTE10526Tang dynasty · ManuscriptsWu Cailuan, Tangyun Rhyme DictionaryThe book behind the legend of a scribe immortalNational Palace MuseumTE10527Sixteen Kingdoms to early Northern Song · ManuscriptsDunhuang Manuscripts in the National Library of ChinaWhat the nation kept from the Library CaveNational Library of ChinaTE10528Tang dynasty · ManuscriptsMahaparinirvana Sutra (Tang Manuscript Scroll)The sutra the nun Zhixing keptNational Central LibraryTE10530Late Tang (colophon dated 875) · ManuscriptsXiaochao Commentary (Tang Manuscript Scroll)A late Tang notebook of monastic rulesNational Central LibraryTE10533
Bamboo Slips & Silk Texts1Manuscripts14Rare Printed Books1Archives & Documents1

Sculpture & Statuary

10 treasures
Tang dynasty · Tomb FiguresSancai Camel Carrying Musicians from the Tomb of Xianyu TinghaiA Tang band on camelbackNational Museum of ChinaTE10052Tang dynasty · Tomb & Monumental StoneFour of the Six Steeds of ZhaolingThe war horses that won Taizong his empireXi'an Beilin MuseumTE10057Tang dynasty · Censers & Other MetalworkBronze Pagoda from Famen TempleA bronze stupa that held the Buddha's relicFamen Temple MuseumTE10099Tang dynasty · Tomb FiguresSancai Black-glazed HorseA rare black horse of Tang sancaiLuoyang MuseumTE10643Tang dynasty · Tomb FiguresSancai Camel with Musicians from Zhongbao VillageA Tang band on a camel's backShaanxi History MuseumTE10644Tang, 7th year of Kaiyuan (719) · Religious ImagesStone Statue of the Daoist Deity Changyang TaizunA Daoist deity from a High Tang templeShanxi Art MuseumTE10650Tang (Wu Zhou), 2nd year of Tianshou (691) · Religious ImagesStele with Scenes of the Buddha's ParinirvanaThe Buddha's parinirvana told in stoneShanxi Art MuseumTE10652Tang dynasty · Religious ImagesGilt Silver Monk's Staff with Twelve RingsThe gilded staff that welcomed the Buddha's relicFamen Temple MuseumTE10654Tang dynasty · Tomb & Monumental StoneQuanmaogua, One of the Six Steeds of ZhaolingThe warhorse that carried nine arrowsPenn MuseumTE10664Tang dynasty · Tomb & Monumental StoneSaluzi, One of the Six Steeds of ZhaolingQiu Xinggong draws the arrowPenn MuseumTE10665
Tomb Figures3Religious Images4Pictorial Stones & Bricks1Tomb & Monumental Stone3

Implements & Instruments

6 treasures
Tang dynasty · Astronomical InstrumentsDunhuang Star ChartThe whole Tang sky on paperBritish LibraryTE10673Tang dynasty · Musical InstrumentsJiuxiao Huanpei QinA qin that rings like jade in the high heavensPalace MuseumTE10679Tang dynasty, 756 · Musical InstrumentsDasheng Yiyin QinThe sound the sages left behindPalace MuseumTE10680Tang, 2nd year of Jingyun (711) · Musical InstrumentsJingyun BellEmperor Ruizong's six-ton bellXi'an Beilin MuseumTE10683Tang 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)TE10686Tang dynasty · Musical InstrumentsLushan Ware Waist Drum with Blue Splashes on Black GlazeBlue clouds on black satinPalace MuseumTE10687
Astronomical Instruments1Musical Instruments5