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【Agile and Graceful: Art and Imagination in Western Han Guangling Lacquerware and Woodenware】Lacquer Ruler with Silver-C...
01/08/2026

【Agile and Graceful: Art and Imagination in Western Han Guangling Lacquerware and Woodenware】
Lacquer Ruler with Silver-Capped End and "Seal of Guangling Cheng" Clay Seal
This lacquer ruler unlocks administrative secrets of the Guangling Kingdom. Found at Leitang Han tomb, Yangzhou, it features silver mounting at the tip, lacquered body, and an attached clay seal stamped "Seal of Guangling Cheng".
It functioned both as a measuring tool and material evidence of local governance in Guangling. Beyond measuring physical length, this tiny ruler calibrates the passage of history.

【Agile and Graceful: Art and Imagination in Western Han Guangling Lacquerware and Woodenware】Painted Wooden Zither Peg w...
01/08/2026

【Agile and Graceful: Art and Imagination in Western Han Guangling Lacquerware and Woodenware】
Painted Wooden Zither Peg with Immortals, Divine Beasts and Cloud Vapour Patterns
Even instrument supports were adorned with immortals and mythical creatures. Excavated from a Han tomb at Ga'nanzu, West Lake Town, Yangzhou, this wooden se zither peg retains bright pigments depicting immortals and beasts weaving through clouds.
The se was an important string instrument in Han China. The elaborate painting on its support reflects the Han pursuit of harmony between music and aesthetics.

【Agile and Graceful: Art and Imagination in Western Han Guangling Lacquerware and Woodenware】Painted Square Lacquer Cask...
01/08/2026

【Agile and Graceful: Art and Imagination in Western Han Guangling Lacquerware and Woodenware】
Painted Square Lacquer Casket with Feathered Immortals, Wildlife and Cloud Vapour Patterns
Feathered immortals were divine messengers in Han imagination. This square lacquer casket was unearthed at Xiaoyangzhuang Han tomb, Yangzhou. Its surface depicts feathered immortals soaring amid clouds alongside birds and beasts.
With plumage and wings, feathered beings embodied the Han aspiration for immortality and transcendence. Cloud patterns fill the casket, steeped in ethereal charm.

【Agile and Graceful: Art and Imagination in Western Han Guangling Lacquerware and Woodenware】Painted Kneeling Female Fig...
01/08/2026

【Agile and Graceful: Art and Imagination in Western Han Guangling Lacquerware and Woodenware】
Painted Kneeling Female Figurine
Learn about the "standard formal posture" of two thousand years ago — the kneeling seat. Excavated from the Northern Cave Mountain Chu King tomb in Xuzhou, this painted pottery figurine kneels with knees on the ground and hips resting on heels, in a dignified posture. Layered painted robes remain clearly visible.
Kneeling was the official etiquette posture for formal Han occasions. This figurine vividly reconstructs Han rituals and daily life.

【Agile and Graceful: Art and Imagination in Western Han Guangling Lacquerware and Woodenware】Lacquered Tabletop with Ins...
01/08/2026

【Agile and Graceful: Art and Imagination in Western Han Guangling Lacquerware and Woodenware】
Lacquered Tabletop with Inscribed Moral Maxims
Imagine having your motto inscribed on your furniture! Recovered from Chen Lin’s tomb at Xiaoyun Mountain, Dongyang, Xuyi, this lacquered tabletop bears moral epigrams written in lacquer.
Viewed every day, these words encouraged constant self-reflection. Han scholars inscribed self-cultivation proverbs on daily utensils, turning ordinary life into a place for moral improvement.

【Agile and Graceful: Art and Imagination in Western Han Guangling Lacquerware and Woodenware】Gold-Inlaid Iron Writing Kn...
01/08/2026

【Agile and Graceful: Art and Imagination in Western Han Guangling Lacquerware and Woodenware】
Gold-Inlaid Iron Writing Knife with Lacquer Scabbard
How exquisite was the ancient "correction tape"? This gold-inlaid iron writing knife with lacquer sheath speaks for itself. Unearthed at Lianying Han tomb, Yizheng, the blade features elaborate gold inlay paired with a luxurious lacquer scabbard.
When scribes made mistakes on bamboo slips, they scraped off characters with writing knives. Indispensable for Han literati, these finely decorated blades show that even correcting writing demanded elegance.

【Agile and Graceful: Art and Imagination in Western Han Guangling Lacquerware and Woodenware】Wooden Administrative Slip ...
01/08/2026

【Agile and Graceful: Art and Imagination in Western Han Guangling Lacquerware and Woodenware】
Wooden Administrative Slip of Tangyi, Dated the Second Year of Yuanshou
A single wooden slip freezes a moment of history at the end of Western Han. Discovered at Tushantun, Qingdao, this slip bears clear brush-written characters and a confirmed date (1 BCE), recording administrative affairs of Tangyi County.
It offers first-hand material on local governance of the Han Dynasty and serves as a precious specimen of calligraphy during the transition from clerical script to regular script.

【Agile and Graceful: Art and Imagination in Western Han Guangling Lacquerware and Woodenware】Lacquer Ink-Grinding Box Pa...
01/08/2026

【Agile and Graceful: Art and Imagination in Western Han Guangling Lacquerware and Woodenware】
Lacquer Ink-Grinding Box Painted with Immortals, Birds, Beasts and Cloud Vapours
The ink-grinding box was an essential piece within the literati’s "Four Treasures of the Study" in Han times. Found in Junzhuang Han tomb, Xuyi, this lacquer box is decorated with immortals and wildlife wandering among clouds. It originally held an ink slab and ink stick.
Before writing and painting, one opened this box filled with ethereal imagery, turning ink grinding into a romantic ritual.

【Agile and Graceful: Art and Imagination in Western Han Guangling Lacquerware and Woodenware】Wooden Gangmao and Yanmao A...
01/08/2026

【Agile and Graceful: Art and Imagination in Western Han Guangling Lacquerware and Woodenware】
Wooden Gangmao and Yanmao Amulets
Behold the "protective charms" of Han people: Gangmao and Yanmao. This pair of wooden amulets was unearthed at Junzhuang Han tomb, Xuyi. Protective inscriptions are carved on all four sides. Worn on the Mao day of the first lunar month, they warded off pestilence and evil.
Their names "Gang" (steadfast) and "Yan" (resolute) symbolise fortitude. They serve as physical proof of Han apotropaic beliefs, tiny wooden tokens meant to safeguard the wearer.

【Agile and Graceful: Art and Imagination in Western Han Guangling Lacquerware and Woodenware】Lacquer Divination BoardHow...
01/08/2026

【Agile and Graceful: Art and Imagination in Western Han Guangling Lacquerware and Woodenware】
Lacquer Divination Board
How did the ancients foretell fortune and misfortune? With lacquer divination boards! Excavated from the Lianying Han tomb in Liuji, Yizheng, this lacquer shi divination board is tangible evidence of Han astral divination.
Marked with Heavenly Stems, Earthly Branches and star positions, the rotating disc was used to predict fate. It functioned as a divination tool and a miniature model of the Han cosmic view — heaven and earth encapsulated within a small frame.

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No. 321, Zhongshan Donglu
Nanjing
210000

Opening Hours

Tuesday 09:00 - 17:00
Wednesday 09:00 - 17:00
Thursday 09:00 - 17:00
Friday 09:00 - 17:00
Saturday 09:00 - 17:00
Sunday 09:00 - 17:00

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