The story sounds familiar but the ending was nothing but normal. A farmer was digging a well and found two earthen jars. The contents of the jars contained some of the most important Tang dynasty relics to date.
2024 is the Year of the Dragon, and the National Treasure of the week, the Gold Dragons in Running Position 赤金走龙, was featured as a series of lanterns for annual Lunar New Year Yuanxiao Lantern Festival on the Xian Old City Walls
Gold Dragons in Running Position 赤金走龙
Gold | Tang dynasty (618-907) | Dimensions – H: 2.1-2.7cm, L: 4-4.2cm, W: 4g | Shaanxi History Museum, Unearthed from Hejiacun Village, 1970. 金器｜唐 (公元618年-907年)｜高2.1~2.7厘米，长4~4.2厘米，重4克 | 陕西历史博物馆，1970年陕西西安南郊何家村出土
Among the treasures found in Heijiacun included these little cute golden dragons. They were not larger than 4cm each, and weighed around 4g, and when they were found, they were on a gold foil floating in a silver bottle that was half filled with liquid. Twelve of them were found, but only six of them were on display in Shaanxi History Museum.
These dragons were used in a Taoist ritual popular during the Tang dynasty called “casting the dragon” 投龙. During the ritual, prayer slips and these gold dragons (sometimes gold ingots or jade were used too) were tied together and then thrown into caves, lakes or sky as symbol of sending the prayers and wishes to the gods.
These small dragons have two horns and a long tail and were decorated with fish scale patterns all over their bodies. They are exquisite artistic treasures of the handicrafts of the Tang Dynasty.
These dragons were found in another National Treasure – Gilt Silver Bottle with a Handle and Parrot Patterns 鎏金鹦鹉纹提梁银罐. Why they were placed in there with such care was unknown. One theory was that these dragons carried the prayers of the owners of these treasures to one day return and retrieve them from the buried location. Of course, they never did.
何家村窖藏共出土了12条赤金走龙，均纯金制成，体形虽小而神态逼真，被认为是道教“投龙”祭祀仪式中所用的法器。在道教“投龙”仪式中，于坛场上呈列龙、璧、简等以供奉诸神。仪式结束后，用青丝将龙、璧、简等捆绑在一起投向山洞、河湖、大地，向天、地、水诸神祈愿。
其上立十二只精致纤细的赤金走龙。赤金走龙（真正的纯金制成）伸项阔嘴，双角，长尾拖卷，作奔走状，周身饰片状鳞纹。
Gilt Silver Bottle with a Handle and Parrot Patterns 鎏金鹦鹉纹提梁银罐
Gilt Gold, Silver | Tang dynasty (618-907) | Dimensions – H: 24.2cm, D: 12.4cm top 14.3cm base, W: 1879g | Shaanxi History Museum, Unearthed from Hejiacun Village, 1970. 鎏金、银｜唐 (公元618年-907年)｜高24.2厘米，口径12.4厘米，足径14.3厘米，重1879克 | 陕西历史博物馆，1970年陕西西安南郊何家村出土
银罐出土时罐内尚存有半罐水，水上浮着一张极薄的金箔，其上立十二只精致纤细的赤金走龙，水中还散落着十余颗颜色各异的宝石，历经千年岁月依然璀璨夺目。
Gilt Iron-cored Copper Dragon 鎏金铁芯铜龙
Iron | Tang dynasty (618-907) | Dimensions – H: 34cm, L: 28cm, W: 2800g | Shaanxi History Museum, Excavated from the Southern Suburbs of Xi’an City in 1975. 铁｜唐 (公元618年-907年)｜高34厘米，长28厘米；重2.800千克 | 陕西历史博物馆，1975年西安市南郊草场坡出士
A similar item was found in 1975 belong to the same period. Although the gilt iron dragon was 7x larger than those found in Hejiacun Village, the design of the dragon and overall techniques used to make it were aligned for the period.
这件铜龙是铁质的，通体鎏金，身体细长，两只有力的前脚紧扣地面，龙头与上身呈“S”型，龙嘴张开，露出牙齿和弯曲的龙舌，两只圆睁的双眼直视前方，龙角紧贴头部向后伸展，龙尾丛高高上扬的后肢处反折向龙头上方。
About Chinese National Treasure Series
中華國寶系列 Chinese National Treasure series feature specific artefacts and relics from museums all around the world that are historically significant to be considered a National Treasure. The series covers the 5,000 years of Chinese civilisation from Neolithic periods before the Xia dynasty (c. 2070-1600 BC) to modern day.
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