Treasures of Nanjing Museum – History Gallery Part 1

Nanjing Museum is the second largest museum in China (after the Palace Museum of Beijing) in terms of the numbers of artefacts and relics in its collection. Many magnificent and sometimes mind-blowing artefacts are displayed in the vast space of the six galleries and 23 halls of the museums that spans 130,000 sqm. But that’s still too small to show everything. Here’s a list of what I think were the highlights when I visited in Nov 2025

The museum spans six different galleries (buildings) and over 23 exhibitions of different themes. It is really confusing to navigate around the compound but everything is linked on the lower floor which is called the first floor (yes, the ground level is not the first floor, but the second floor) and the exhibits are scattered around the six buildings. This list is for the History Gallery, which is the main building as you enter the museum. Things may change according to the museum plans. Check before heading to the exhibits.

The History Gallery 历史馆 showcases the history of China through six exhibition halls over two levels, divided by timeline starting with prehistory. The curators have a preference over Jiangsu related artefacts. Because of the vast number of collection that are interesting, this is Part 1 of two posts, focusing on Level 2 of History Gallery covering Neolithic to Han dynasty.

Ancient Charm of Prehistory 天地造化 史前神韵 (Hall 2)

Neolithic Jiangsu, located in the lower Yangtze River region, was  a crucial centre for early rice agriculture, sedentary village development, and jade production, evolving from 7000 to 3000 BC. Key cultures like Majiabang, Songze, and Liangzhu highlight a shift towards complex, stratified societies, featuring rice cultivation, advanced pottery, and early cities.

Jade Cong 神人兽面纹琮

This jade Cong excavated from Huating site is unique because of its shape. The usual Congs are rectangular, while this is one of the rare almost cylindrical Cong. Nevertheless, the motif on the Cong is unmistakably similar to the “King of Cong” excavated from the Liangzhu ruins, thus safely concluding that Liangzhu culture is also prevalent here. The Liangzhu culture, located in northern Zhejiang and southern Jiangsu near Lake Tai, is the last Neolithic jade culture in the Yangtze River Delta. It was a centre of intense and controlled jade production. Jade was worked according to models that spread rapidly throughout China—most notably the taotie motif, especially on tubes of varying lengths known as cong.

Liangzhu jade artefacts are made with astonishing precision and care, especially as jade is too hard to “carve” with a knife but must be abraded with coarse sands in a laborious process. The extraordinarily fine lines of the incised decoration and the high gloss of the polished surfaces were technical feats requiring the highest level of skill and patience. ¹

Jade Accessory with Human, Bird and Beast Motifs 人鸟兽饰件、弦纹端饰

First Class Artefact 一级文物

I was surprised it was just lying flat in the display cabinet without much attention to it. But this is the first jadeite artefact from the Neolithic age discovered to have feature openwork depicting the human figure, a beast and a bird in a prayer stance. The shamanistic relic was unearthed in a Neolithic site in the Taihu Lake area of the Yangtze River Delta. When unearthed, the ornament was placed at the right foot of the tomb occupant in the circular hole of a stone axe. Based on the vermilion color on the axe, binding marks, and traces of vermilion patterns left at the site, the stone axe was originally a handled weapon.

The axe, as a ceremonial object evolved from a weapon, signified the military authority possessed by the tomb occupant during their lifetime. The openwork jade ornament depicting human figures, birds, and animals was likely an attachment to the axe, possessing extremely high historical and artistic value. It is the earliest unearthed openwork jade ornament featuring human figures, birds, and animals in China, a mysterious symbol of communication with the gods and the display of authority by the Liangzhu people.²

Pottery porpoise-shaped pot 江豚形陶壶

The overall shape of this pottery pot is vivid and lifelike, depicting the posture of a finless porpoise swimming and swaying its tail in the water. The pot has three flat feet on its belly, which can steadily support the plump body of the pot, while the water inlet is located at the slightly raised tail of the finless porpoise, making it quite convenient to use.³ The modern cousin, the Yangtze finless porpoise, is still found in waters of Yangtze River. Known for its “mischievous smile” and high intelligence, this “living fossil”, which is critically endangered, serves as a key indicator of the Yangtze’s ecosystem health. Thanks to strict conservation measures, including a 10-year fishing ban, the population has shown signs of recovery, with over 1,200 estimated in 2022.⁴

Painted Pottery Bowl 彩陶碗

This item is a Neolithic painted pottery basin likely from the Longshan Culture (c. 3000–1700 BC). The Longshan Culture is a prehistoric Chinese culture known for its distinct black pottery and painted earthenware. The octagonal-star image had been a kind of icon or décor mainly found on the surface of Neolithic pottery. The basic form of octagonal-star had a closure heart, surrounding with eight protruding and radial angles. Their distributions area exceeded half of China, including the basins of Yangtze River, Huai River, Yellow River and Liao River, whose coverage was concentrated in two regions: firstly, the area from Tai Mountain, passing Huai River, Yangtze River to the east side of Tai Lake; secondly, the area surrounding Dongting Lake and Yuanshui River basin. However, octagonal-star icons in other areas were found to be scattered and random.⁵

Perforated Pottery Fu (Ceremonial Axe) 穿孔带柄陶斧

First Class Artefact 一级文物

Hanging on the wall above the porpoise, you tend not to notice it because of the more interesting artefacts below it. However this Neolithic perforated pottery axe (ca. 5,000 BP) with a handle attracted attention when it was excavated. Made of red clay pottery, it consists of a handle and a perforated axe. The handle is oval-shaped, rod-like, thicker at the front and thinner at the back, with a raised tip and a shallow groove for inserting the axe. There are three holes at the back of the groove, through which a rope could be threaded to bind the perforated axe and fix it in place. The rear end of the handle is crescent-shaped and has a triangular perforation. Although this handled pottery axe was not a practical tool (it is about the size of a plastic Yamaha recorder), it provides physical evidence of the method of attaching handles to perforated stone axes at that time, allowing us to imagine its function.⁷

About the Qingdun site

The Qingdun site covers an area of ​​approximately 20,000 square meters, with a cultural layer about 3 meters thick, of which the Neolithic cultural layer is 2-2.5 meters thick. The cultural period dates back 6300-5000 years. The discovered cultural remains mainly include residential remains, ash pits, and tombs. Artefacts include pottery, bone and horn tools, and jade artifacts. The Qingdun site has yielded many well-preserved architectural wooden components and posthole remains. These wooden components include wooden stakes, round logs, and wooden planks. The wooden stakes are generally inserted vertically into the lowest layer of raw sand. The round logs and wooden planks are also architectural components processed by the people of that time; some round logs even have mortise and tenon joints at the ends. These stilt houses dating back 5,000-6,000 years, discovered on the north bank of the Yangtze River, allow for the reconstruction of the daily life of that era.

Age of Early States 方国风云 吴越春秋 (Hall 2)

This permanent exhibition features artefacts and relics from the fangguos (small feudal states) and two larger states that existed in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions, namely Wu and Yue, during the Shang and Zhou Dynasties until State of Qin conquered Chu in 223 BC.⁸

Pottery Bu with stamped geometric pattern 几何印纹硬陶瓿

The Western Zhou Dynasty earthen mound tomb at Fushan Orchard in Jurong is a commoner’s burial site. Therefore, the tomb contains mostly simple pottery, many of which were filled with food, reflecting the ancient people’s concept of “treating the dead as if they were alive.” Although there are no lavish unearthed artefacts, this pot of earthen eggs seems to allow us to see the daily life of the ancients more than 3,000 years ago—ordinary and intimate.

Ancient people raised chickens and ducks very early on, especially chickens. China may be the earliest country in the world to raise chickens. Chicken remains have been discovered at the Xianrendong and Banpo sites in Wannian County, Jiangxi Province, dating back to prehistoric times. Chicken bones have also been unearthed at the Peiligang and Beixin sites in Xinzheng City. Perhaps it is this long history of chicken farming that established the important position of chickens. In ancient times, chickens were one of the “six domestic animals” and the only bird in the twelve zodiac animals.

The Western Zhou Dynasty was a period of development for stamped hard pottery 印纹硬陶 production, with vessel shapes expanding to include urns, jars, and pots. Decorative patterns include square patterns, right-angle patterns, meander patterns, rhombus patterns, wave patterns, and kui dragon patterns. Some pieces even combined several patterns into a single design. During the Spring and Autumn Period, stamped hard pottery remained largely the same as in the Western Zhou, with the addition of large and small square patterns, mat patterns, and cloth patterns.

During the Warring States, Qin, and Han Dynasties, stamped hard pottery saw little change, with vessels mainly including urns, jars, altars, pots, bowls, basins, vats, and gourd pots. New decorative patterns included spiral patterns, S-shaped patterns, hemp cloth patterns, rice sieve-shaped patterns, water ripple patterns, comb-like patterns, bead patterns, and comb patterns, all harmoniously integrated with the vessel shapes and aesthetically pleasing. Archaeological discoveries indicate that the production of stamped hard pottery continued into the Han and Jin Dynasties.

Bronze plate with fish decorations and handles 青铜鱼纹双耳盘

The plate has a wide mouth, shallow belly, double ring handles attached to the sides, and an outward-flaring foot. The exterior is decorated with a kui dragon motif, featuring a split-tailed, looking-backwards-headed flower crown, while the foot is also adorned with kui dragon designs. The interior bottom features a double-bodied coiled dragon, flanked by a group of stylized kui dragons on each side. The inner wall is decorated with a band of fish swimming clockwise, their bodies adorned with scales, against a background of thunder patterns. The rim is decorated with two bands of scales. This combination of motifs exhibits distinct characteristics of the era, reflecting the contemporary people’s worship of auspicious mythical beasts and their aesthetic preferences.

As a washing vessel, it was often used in conjunction with a yi (a type of vessel, an unrelated example above), and its decorative layout embodies the ancient tradition of emphasising aquatic animal themes in water vessel decoration. The fish-dragon patterned bronze plate showcases the fusion of Central Plains culture and Wuhu regional culture. There’s a similar (larger) bronze plate in the collection of National Palace Museum⁹ of Taipei that exhibits the same coiled dragon on the plate, and surrounded by a ring of fish motifs from the late Shang period.

Bronze Needle-pierced Coiled Dragon Pattern Zun (Food Vessel) 青铜針刺蟠虺紋尊

In the bronze culture of the Shang and Zhou dynasties, the zun was a vessel for holding wine. Bronze zun from the Central Plains region were often decorated with animal face patterns or bird and animal shapes. Bronze zun cast in the Wu and Yue regions were mostly three-sectioned cylindrical shapes, with needle-punched patterns on the belly. Among the needle-punched zun, the needle-punched coiled dragon pattern zun unearthed in Yancheng, Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, is the most distinctive.

The needle-punched coiled snake pattern zun is cylindrical in shape. It is 27.8 cm high, with a mouth diameter of 26.35 cm and a belly diameter of 21.75 cm. It has a wide mouth, a high neck (11.8 cm high), a bulging belly, and a ring foot. The belly is decorated with coiled snakes as the background pattern; the coiled snake pattern is a type of bronze ware decoration. The coiled snakes have fine needle-punches, with longer needle-punches at the corners, resembling a thicket of thorns. There is a band of beaded patterns on the top and bottom edges, serving as boundary lines for the belly, making the belly a self-contained unit and more eye-catching. The neck and heel areas, close to the abdomen, are decorated with the same serrated and geometric patterns, making the abdomen, neck, and feet appear coherent, harmonious, and integrated.¹⁰

Bronze Bozhong (Percussion Instrument) 青铜镈钟一组

Since ancient times, ritual and music have been inseparable; “ritual and music depend on each other for their function; ritual cannot be performed without music, and music cannot be performed without ritual.”¹¹ Ancient musical instruments reached their full potential during the Zhou Dynasty, and were classified into eight categories based on their materials: metal, stone, clay, leather, silk, wood, gourd, and bamboo.

The “metal” category refers to bronze instruments, primarily percussion instruments such as bells. These instruments served purposes such as worshipping gods and entertaining the public. The main types of bronze musical instruments include: bells that include Zhong 钟, Bo 镈 (bó), Nao 铙 (náo), Zheng 钲 (zheng), Chunyu 錞于 and Duo 铎 (duó), and bronze drums 鼓.¹²

Bozhong 镈钟 is a percussive instrument that is monotone (one tone per bell) that is struck with a mallet to produce a sound, and is used in conjunction with with the Chunyu 淳于 and Qing 磬 to produce a chord. It is different from other bells in terms of shape – flat bottomed and can be placed on the floor without wobbling.¹³

Tiger-Handled Bronze Chunyu With Cloud Pattern (Percussion Instrument) 青铜云纹虎钮錞于

In 1985, three bronze bells (錞于) of varying sizes were unearthed from the Eastern Zhou Dynasty tomb at Wangjiashan, Jianbi, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province. They have rounded tops, no discs, and tiger-shaped knobs at the apex. The upper part of the bells leans forward. The smaller of the three bells measures 22-26.5 cm in shoulder diameter, 16.9-20.8 cm in base diameter, and 43 cm in height. They are decorated with various patterns including cloud patterns, triangular clouds, spiral patterns, and bird patterns. A human face is carved in relief on the protruding part of the shoulder and abdomen on the front. There is an animal-shaped edge on the abdomen. There are two triangular sound holes inside the abdomen. Their unique shape suggests they are relics from the late Spring and Autumn Period.¹⁴

The Ba people, centred around the Three Gorges area in eastern Sichuan and Hubei, considered the white tiger their ancestor and totem. The tigers on these instruments represent power and serve as a “defensive talisman” in Ba culture. How it reached the Yue people was unknown but it does indicate cultural exchanges along the Yangtze River.

Proto-porcelain Yongzhong, Gouda. Niubo (percussion instruments) 原始青瓷甬钟、原始青瓷句鑃、硬陶钮镈

Celadon musical instruments were popular in the Taihu-Qiantang River basin during the Warring States period. Most of these instruments were imitations of bronze instruments and were unique funerary objects used by the Yue nobility. The firing of celadon musical instruments demonstrates the superb porcelain-making skills of the Yue people, and the combinations of these instruments reflect the ritual and hierarchical systems of Yue noble burials. Yue-style celadon, also known as proto-porcelain or proto-celadon, is a great invention of the Yue people. The use of celadon to fire ritual vessels and musical instruments imitating bronze ware was a major innovation of the Yue people.¹⁵

Hard Pottery Brazier (Zhilu) 硬陶炙炉

Academic Ma Jianying, through historical documents, summarised that the ancient people in the pre-Qin period mainly used three methods of roasting food: “pao” 炮, “zhi”炙, and “fan” 燔. “Zhi” is a method of cooking food by skewering raw meat with wooden sticks or other stick-like objects and roasting it over a fire. When roasting food, the wooden stick or other stick-like object skewering the food is constantly rotated in the hand, so that the food can be roasted all over.¹⁶ Doesn’t this sound like our modern day barbecue? The forefathers were smart enough to use hard pottery to make this brazier instead of bronze as funerary good, as bronze is now a precious metal used for ceremonial bronze wares and weapons, shows that BBQ is a something they crave even after life.

A real life example of this type of brazier was excavated from the King of Nanyue mausoleum in Guangzhou. The complete set includes the brazier, skewers, the chain for hanging the brazier, as well as a smaller pan for keeping the meat warm.

Bronze horse sculpture, chariot model, figurine 青铜马、青铜车、青铜俑

This is a Warring States period bronze horse-drawn vehicle collectible. Similar bronze chariots were unearthed in 1980 from the mausoleum complex of Emperor Qin Shihuang, which are in the scale 1:3 – these are 1:12. The artefact features detailed figures of horses pulling a chariot with a driver. 

Gold “Ying Yuan” (Ancient Currency) 郢爰

They looked like pieces of chocolate broken off a whole bar. But these Ying Yuan 郢爰 were stamped blocks of gold bullion. This was an early form of currency that could be considered a precursor to gold coins. They were issued by the State of Chu during the Warring States period between the 400s and late 200s BC.¹⁸ “Ying” was the name of the capital city of Chu, and “Yuan” was a unit of currency weight, containing over 90% gold, with the best quality reaching 99%. When in use, the gold plate or ingot was cut into pieces as needed.

These Ying Yuan pieces were unearthed in 1982 from the Nanyaozhuang hoard¹⁹ in Xuyi County, Huai’an City. The obverse is engraved with neatly arranged seal script “Ying Yuan” in intaglio, the number of which varies. The largest piece of Ying Yuan unearthed has 54 complete intaglio seals arranged in 6 vertical and 9 horizontal lines, plus 6 half-seals. The reverse is slightly curved and smooth.²⁰

Han Dynasty and Legends of Kingdoms 郡国华章 汉家故里 (Hall 3)

Being the home region to the founding emperor Liu Bang 刘邦 (256–195 BC, r. 202-195 BC) of Han Dynasty (202 BC – 220 AD), Jiangsu enjoyed economic prosperity and political significance with a number of feudal kings. Amongst Jiangsu’s rich Han remains, the mausoleums of the feudal kings are particularly impressive.

Gold Beast 西汉金兽

In the 1980s, a collection of cultural relics was accidentally discovered in a hoard in Xuyi, Jiangsu Province. Among them was a vivid gold beast covering on a bronze ewer. The gold beast is 17.5 cm long, 16 cm wide and 10.2 cm high and could date back to the Western Han Dynasty at the latest. Its whole body is decorated with circular markings. It contains 99% gold and weighs 9,100 grams, which is the heaviest ancient gold ware unearthed in China. It was generally thought to be a mat weight as an ink inscription is visible in the underbelly that says “黄六” or “Yellow Six”. In ancient times, a mat was laid on the bed. To prevent the mat from shifting or the corners from curling up when getting up or sitting down, “mat weights” were placed at the four corners of the mat, the inscription doesn’t make any sense.

Unfortunately I missed the real thing which was on display in the Collection Highlights 镇馆之宝 exhibition as it was closed for updating. But they have a replica in the History Gallery which you can touch and feel the weight of the beast.

Bronze Sacrificial Animal Shaped Zun Inlaid with Gilt and Silver 错金银铜牺尊

The vessel is adorned with silver-threaded whiskers at the corners of its mouth, each inlaid with eight silver stars; its eyes are set with black crystal, and its eyebrows are composed of seven pieces of turquoise; the top of its head is also inlaid with turquoise. The neck of the sacrificial vessel is adorned with a necklace of 16 oval silver beads (parts of which have now fallen off). The entire body is covered with cloud patterns inlaid with gold and silver wire, and decorated with turquoise and malachite.

The back of the sacrificial vessel bears a bird-shaped lid knob. The bird has a flat beak and a long neck, with its neck bent backwards, its beak pressed tightly against its back, and its wings spread out, its feathers also filled with turquoise. The head, body, and lid of the sacrificial vessel were cast separately, and the necklace cleverly conceals the junction of the head and neck. This vessel was used for holding wine. Lifting the bird-shaped lid on the back allows wine to be poured into the vessel’s belly, with the wine ultimately flowing out from the mouth.²¹

Silver Belt Hook with Inscription of “Forget me not” 长毋相忘银带钩

Belt hooks, primarily used for fastening belts, were necessities in Han Dynasty life. Made of silver, gold, jade, or even crystal, belt hooks of different materials also symbolised status and rank. This exquisite little silver belt hook was unearthed from the tomb of a favoured concubine of the King of Jiangdu. The hook’s head resembles a dragon’s head, and its body is decorated with cloud patterns. It can be split in two along its central axis.

The auspicious phrase “Chang Wu Xiang Wang” (长毋相忘) is cast on the inside of the hook body, one side in intaglio and the other in relief. The two ends fit together using a tenon and mortise joint. The phrase was a common auspicious phrase in the Han Dynasty, meaning “Always think of me, never forget me.” The words are simple yet profound, conveying a deep and tender sentiment.²² Such romantic and beautiful words from 2,000 years ago still move people today. This belt hook is not only an exquisite work of art, but also a work of calligraphy, leaving a lasting impression. It can be called a token of a romantic promise that transcends time and space.

Tiger-Shaped Bronze Mat Weights Inlaid With Gold And Silver 错金银铜蹲立虎、错金銀卧虎铜镇

Tiger-Shaped Bronze Mat Weights²³ Inlaid With Gold And Silver 西汉错金銀卧虎铜镇、蟠虎铜镇、错金银铜蹲立虎
Bronze, gold, silver | Western Han (202 BC-9 AD) | Unearthed from the Dayunshan Site, Xuyi County | Nanjing Museum collection.
铜, 金、银｜西汉（公元前202年-公元9年）｜2009 年盱眙县马坝镇云山村大云山汉墓出土｜南京博物院藏

Gold and silver inlay is an ancient metalwork decoration technique, first seen on bronzes of the Shang and Zhou dynasties, and flourishing during the Warring States and Han periods. The process is complex, requiring the pre-casting or engraving of grooves for patterns and inscriptions on the bronze surface, the embedding of gold or silver wires or sheets, hammering them securely, and finally polishing with a wax stone to highlight the decorative effect of the patterns and inscriptions. The lustre of the gold and silver complements the bronze, making the patterns exceptionally beautiful and elegant, further emphasising the preciousness of the bronze.²⁴

The two bronze tigers unearthed from Liu Fei’s tomb are exquisitely crafted and luxuriously decorated, likely objects he cherished during his lifetime. Liu Fei himself was extremely martial, and the regal aura displayed by these two bronze tigers perfectly matches his character. The tigers, heads held high and eyes wide, exude power and strength, their eyes inlaid with black mineral pigments, and their bodies decorated with tiger stripes using gold and silver inlay techniques. In ancient Chinese society, the tiger was always considered the king of beasts. Its image appears in Han Dynasty murals, portrait stones, and various unearthed artifacts, but with varying connotations. On one hand, the tiger, along with the Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise, forms the Four Symbols, symbolising directions and primarily serving a protective function against evil. On the other hand, its realistic form was often used in everyday items such as bronze weights and tent stands, closely connected to daily life. ²⁵

Bronze crossbow inlaid with gold and silver 错金银铜弩机

The crossbow mechanism is well-preserved; the clasp, sight, teeth, hook, and sling can all rotate freely, except for the sights. The exposed parts of the crossbow mechanism are decorated with inlaid gold and silver. The sight has five sets of patterns: serpentine dragon, phoenix, golden snake, running beast, and flying crane. The teeth have two sets: a pair of running deer on the outer side and a pair of cranes on the front. Below the teeth, the rotating wheel depicts two flying geese. The key has two sets at each end: one with a white tiger and a vermilion bird, and the other with a running deer and a running beast. ²⁶

The most complex are the patterns on the clasp and arrow slot. The rear of the clasp depicts a white tiger biting a wild boar, while the front features two symmetrical sets of running deer. The clasp and teeth slot are decorated with 13 sets of composite rhomboid patterns in gold wire. The arrow slot depicts a sharp sword and wild geese: a golden arrow is released from the bow, and two wild geese flee in panic. Within this small space, the expressions and postures of the wild geese are vividly portrayed, as if one can hear their mournful cries.

Jade clothes sewn with golden threads belonging to Liu Fei 西汉刘非金缕玉衣

Jade suits, also called jade caskets 玉匣, are burial apparel from the Han Dynasty. Making jade suits was not only labour-intensive, resource-intensive, and time-consuming, but also extremely expensive and complex. Therefore they were worn by emperors and nobles after death and came in several types, including those with gold, silver, copper, and silk threads depending on the social status of the dead.²⁷

Craftsmen first selected large quantities of jade and processed them into jade pieces. Then, they designed different sizes and shapes for different parts of the body. Next, the jade pieces were ground and polished, and small holes were drilled into each corner, some only one mm in diameter. The gold and silver threads used to bind the jade pieces were extremely fine and twisted, making them both soft and strong. Finally, the jade pieces were strung together with gold and silver threads and made into a jade burial suit according to the shape of the human body.

Nanjing Museum has two sets of jade suits in its collection, the gold threaded one and this silver threaded one. Unfortunately the silver threaded jade suit was not on display, as it is more precious because it is the only one fully intact silver threaded jade suit to be discovered.

Gold royal seal inscribed with Chinese characters “Guang Ling Wang Xi” 广陵王玺

This gold seal with a tortoise-shaped knob, unearthed in 1981 from Tomb No. 2 at Ganquanshan, Hanjiang, belonged to Liu Jing, the ninth son of Emperor Guangwu of the Eastern Han Dynasty. The exquisitely crafted seal is cast from high-purity gold, with a golden sheen and a dignified appearance. The seal face measures 2.4 cm in length and 2.4 cm in width. The tortoise knob is 2.1 cm high, the base is 0.95 cm high, and it weighs 122.9 grams. The tortoise is decorated with finely engraved hexagonal shell patterns and circular fish-roe motifs. The seal face, only 2.3 cm square, bears the inscription “Seal of the King of Guangling” in seal script.

Previously, only the “King of Dian” and the “King of Xiongnu” seals, bestowed by the central government of the Han Dynasty upon border ethnic groups, had been discovered as seals of Han Dynasty princes. This tortoise-shaped gold seal perfectly matches the size, weight, and form regulations of Han Dynasty princely seals, making it the only known gold seal belonging to a Han Dynasty prince surnamed Liu. It also solves the nearly 200-year-old mystery of the authenticity of the “King of Wa of Han” gold seal in Japan, confirming the authenticity of a snake-shaped gold seal unearthed in the spring of 1784 on Shiga Island, Fukuoka Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan, thus becoming the earliest physical evidence of Sino-Japanese exchanges.

Besides its unique historical value, the seal’s inscription is well-balanced in its layout, with straight yet curved strokes, square turns and endings, and a blend of seal script and clerical script styles. The vigorous and ancient characters are dignified and solemn, overturning the historical assumption that pure gold is too soft for carving. This is because the four characters “Guangling King’s Seal” are clearly carved with a knife. It is speculated that an extremely sharp, thin-bladed steel knife was used to cut along the edge of the long stroke with two blades, and then a flat-headed knife about 1 mm wide was used to smooth the ends of the stroke. This technique of carving gold seals with a knife provides new information for the study of the history of seal carving in China. It can be regarded as a rare treasure among Han Dynasty seals and is regarded as a standard artefact for dating cultural relics. It has extremely important cultural heritage value in the history of Chinese civilisation.²⁸

Han Stone Murals from Pizhou Stone Tomb 邳州山头汉画像石墓

The Shantou Tomb Complex (also known as the Pizhou Shantou Eastern Han Dynasty Cemetery) is located west of Shantou Village, Daizhuang Town, Pizhou City, Jiangsu Province. It is a family cemetery for small and medium-sized landowners during the early and middle Eastern Han Dynasty. The complex currently contains 45 Eastern Han Dynasty tombs, 3 Ming and Qing Dynasty tombs, and a moat. The tomb types include earthen pit brick chamber tombs, brick chamber vaulted tombs, and mixed brick and stone structures. The tomb passages mostly face due north, and the heads of the tomb owners face south. The structures are complete and clearly grouped.²⁹

This Han Dynasty stone relief tomb was discovered at the Liangwangcheng site in Daizhuang Town, Pizhou. It is a brick and stone structure from the late Eastern Han Dynasty. Stone reliefs were architectural decorations used in the Han Dynasty, carved with images on tombs, cemeteries, ancestral halls, and other buildings. They were very popular during the Eastern Han Dynasty. The tomb consists of a tomb passage, a front chamber, a rear chamber, and side chambers. The courtyard is well-preserved. The Nanjing Museum has relocated and restored the entire tomb for display.³⁰

The gable walls and doorposts of the front and rear chambers, the thick walls of the rear chamber, and the lintels and doorposts of the side chambers are all carved with images, including attendants, auspicious birds and beasts, as well as diamond and cross patterns, etc., all exquisitely carved and rich in content. The composition is generally divided into two or three layers. The lower layer depicts scenes of real life, expressing the wish for the tomb owner to live a wealthy life in another world. The upper and middle layers depict fantastical scenes with auspicious birds and beasts, expressing the Han Dynasty people’s fantasy and yearning for immortality and ascension to heaven.

Stone Mural of the Textile Production Scene “纺织图”画像石

The portrait stone is divided into four layers and four themes. The theme of the second layer is textile production, but this mural e textile picture in the Nanjing Museum is not an ordinary textile scene. It depicts the story of “Zengzi’s Mother Throwing the Shuttle” 曾母投杼.^31，32 However, this picture does not depict Zengzi’s mother “leaving over the wall,” but rather Zengzi’s mother angrily scolding him and throwing her shuttle to the ground.³³

The third layer of the stone carvings depicts a kitchen scene. The scene of slaughtering dogs, in particular, was incredibly vivid. The Qin and Han dynasties were precisely the peak of the custom of eating dog meat in ancient China, even giving rise to specialised dog butchers. Dog meat was also favoured by the aristocracy; among the burial goods of Lady Xin Zhui in the Mawangdui Han Tomb were dog soup, roasted dog ribs, and roasted dog liver.

Grey Pottery Lamp 灰陶九枝灯

The pottery lamp was unearthed in 1964 and is now part of the collection in the Nanjing Museum. The main body of the lamp consists of an inverted basin-shaped base and a central pillar. Nine curved branches extend from the pillar in three tiers. The tips of the upper branches are decorated with ram heads, the middle with dragon heads, and the lower with tiger heads; all animal heads are painted in vermilion. The lamp is a shallow, round cup with a short handle at the bottom that can be precisely inserted into the hole in the animal head, allowing for easy assembly and disassembly. Its layered, staggered layout combined with animal-shaped decorations achieves both practical function and artistic form. Standing 53 cm tall, its proportions are harmonious, making it a model of Han Dynasty lamp craftsmanship.³⁴

Footnotes :

1. Department of Asian Art. “Neolithic Period in China.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/cneo/hd_cneo.htm (October 2004) https://www.metmuseum.org/essays/neolithic-period-in-china
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2. Jade Accessory with Human, Bird and Beast Motifs 人鸟兽饰件、弦纹端饰
   Jadeite | Neolithic Age ｜Unearthed from the Zhaolingshan Site, Kunshan (1991) ｜ Nanjing Museum collection
   玉器｜新石器｜1991年昆山市赵陵山遗址出土｜南京博物院藏
   透雕人鸟兽玉饰件出土于1991年，昆山市赵陵山遗址77号墓中。赵陵山位于昆山市张浦镇西南，属长江三角洲太湖水乡地带新石器时代遗址。
   该饰件出土时放置在墓主右脚下的一个石钺圆孔处。据钺上部的朱色、缚痕和现场遗留的朱彩图案痕迹等判断，石钺原为带柄器。钺作为一种由武器演变而来的礼仪之器，显示着墓主人生前拥有的军事权威。透雕人鸟兽玉饰件应是钺上附加饰件，具有极高的历史价值和工艺价值，是我国出土时代最早的人鸟兽图案透雕精品，良渚先民通天神、显权威的神秘象征物。
   https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/79858029
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3. Pottery porpoise-shaped pot 江豚形陶壶
   Pottery | Neolithic Age | Unearthed from Meiyan, Wujiang (1960) | L: 32.4 cm, H: 11.7 cm | Nanjing Museum collection
   陶器｜新石器时代｜1960年江苏吴江梅堰遗址出土｜长32.4厘米，高11.7厘米｜南京博物院藏
   这件陶壶的整体造型生动逼真，体现了江豚在水中游动摆尾的姿态。陶壶的腹部有三只扁足，可以稳稳地托住饱满的壶身，而注水口设在江豚微微上扬的尾部，使用起来相当便利。https://baike.baidu.com/item/江豚形陶壶/55498592
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4. Stephen McDonell, China correspondent. Saving China’s finless porpoise from the brink of extinction, 21 August 2025. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce3jy7el90po
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5. 栾豐實，2010，《中國史前文化中的八角星圖案初探》，《南藝學報》1:89-11 https://libap.nhu.edu.tw:8081/Ejournal/AR01000106.pdf
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6. 殷志强，青墩遗址专刊|| 带柄穿孔陶斧发掘记, 刊登于《大众考古》2020增刊——《青墩遗址专刊》，原载于《江苏地方志》2005年第1期, 来源: 海安市文化广电和旅游局 2023-01-05 
   https://www.haian.gov.cn/hasrmzf/qdwh/qdwh.html
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7. Perforated pottery Fu (Ceremonial Axe) 穿孔带柄陶斧
   Pottery | Neolithic Age (ca. 5,000 BP) | Unearthed from the Qingdun Site, Hai ‘an, Nantong City (1979) | Nanjing Museum collection
   陶器｜新石器时代｜1979年海安青墩遗址出土｜南京博物院藏
   青墩遗址面积约2万平方米，文化层厚3米左右，其中新石器时代文化层厚2—2.5米。文化年代为距今6300—5000年。已发现的文化遗存主要有居住遗迹、灰坑、墓葬，遗物主要有陶器、骨角器、玉石器等。青墩遗址发现了不少保存尚好的建筑木构件和柱洞遗迹。其中建筑木构件有木桩、圆木条和木板等。木桩一般都竖直地插入最下层的青沙生土内。圆木条和木板也是当时人们加工了的建筑构件，有些圆木条端部还有砍凿出来的卯榫。在长江北岸发现的这些五六千年前的干栏式建筑，可以复原当时的生活场景。
   一件有柄穿孔陶斧引发关注。它由泥质红陶制成，分柄和穿孔斧两部分，柄为椭圆形棒状，前粗后细，前端翘起，有浅槽可嵌入穿孔斧。槽后有三孔，可穿绳缚住穿孔斧，使其固定在槽内。柄后端作半月形，并有三角形穿孔。这件有柄陶斧虽非实用工具，但为当时穿孔石斧的装柄方法提供了实物证据，让我们能想象它的功能。 https://www.nju.edu.cn/info/1056/360291.htm
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8. 吴国是春秋战国时期长江下游地区的诸侯国之一，西周初年由周太王的长子太伯、次子仲雍建立，至寿梦在位时发展强盛，开始称王。再经过诸樊、余祭、余眜、僚几代吴王的苦心经营，吴国逐渐成为重要方国。阖闾时期构筑的姑苏城，为苏州城的起源。
   
   公元前473年，越王勾践卧薪尝胆后卷土重来，夫差自刎，吴国灭亡。公元前333年，楚威王东伐，杀越王无疆，越国覆灭。此后百年，楚国日益衰微，公元前223年，秦国大将王翦、蒙武攻破楚国，至此吴、越、楚的大邦之梦终归于秦。
   https://art.icity.ly/events/7aiz61m
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9. https://theme.npm.edu.tw/3d/Content.aspx?sno=04001039&l=1&q=&cat=&p=1&fromCnt=1
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10. Bronze Needle-pierced Coiled Dragon Pattern Zun (Food Vessel) 青铜針刺蟠虺紋尊
    Bronzeware | Early Spring and Autumn Period | Excavated from the Yancheng Site in Changzhou | Collection of Nanjing Museum
    铜器｜春秋早期｜常州市淹城遗址出土｜南京博物院藏
    在商周青銅文化中，尊為盛酒器。中原地區青銅尊多飾獸面紋或為鳥獸形。吳越地區鑄青銅尊則多為三段式筒形，腹部多飾針刺紋。而在針刺紋尊中，首推江蘇常州淹城出土的針刺蟠虺紋尊最具特色。
    針刺蟠虺紋尊體圓呈筒形。通高二十七點八厘米，口徑二十六點三五厘米，腹徑二十一點七五厘米。侈口高頸，頸高十一點八厘米，鼓腹圈足。腹部以蟠虺為地紋，蟠虺紋即盤曲的小蛇紋飾，青銅器紋飾之一。蟠虺上有細密的針刺，轉角點針刺較長，有如荊棘叢生；上下邊各有一周連珠紋，作為腹部的界紋，使腹部自成單元，更為醒目。緊靠腹部的頸下和足根部位上，飾有相同的鋸齒紋和幾何紋，使腹部與頸、足顯得連貫協調，渾然一體。https://www.tkww.hk/epaper/view/newsDetail/1349631029329137664.html
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11. “礼、乐相须以为用，礼非乐不行，乐非礼不举” 这句话出自宋代学者郑樵《通志·乐略·乐府总序》，深刻阐述了中国传统礼乐文明中“礼”（秩序、规范）与“乐”（和谐、情感）相辅相成、缺一不可的辩证关系。意即：礼与乐需要互相辅助才能发挥作用，没有音乐的烘托，礼仪就无法举行；没有礼的规范，音乐也就失去了方向。http://ent.people.com.cn/n1/2023/0114/c1012-32606462.html
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12. 自古以来，礼与乐密不可分，“礼、乐相须以为用，礼非乐不行，乐非礼不举”。古代乐器至周代而大备，按八音分类有：金、石、土、革、丝、木、匏、竹八种制作材料。其中的“金”类系青铜铸造的乐器，主要是钟类打击乐器。它们具有敬神、娱众等作用。青铜乐器的主要种类有：钟、镈（bo）、铙（nao）、钲（zheng）、錞（chun）于、铎（duo）、鼓等。https://www.sohu.com/a/303520790_526303
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13. 吴中胜, 礼乐相须与文化精神. 2023年01月14日08:56 | 来源：光明日报
    http://ent.people.com.cn/n1/2023/0114/c1012-32606462.html
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14. 刘建国,谈三平. 江苏镇江谏壁王家山东周墓, 【文物】1987 年 12 期
    1985年，江苏镇江谏壁王家山东周墓出土三件錞于，大小有序。弧圆形顶，无盘，顶端有虎形钮。錞体上部向前方倾斜。其中较小的一件。肩径22—26.5、底径16.9—20.8、通高43厘米。有云纹、三角云、螺旋纹、鸟纹等多种纹饰。正面肩腹部向前突出部位浮雕人面纹。腹部有一兽形边棱。腹内有两个三角形矫音孔。其造型奇特。属春秋晚期遗物。https://baike.baidu.com/item/錞于/489795
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15. 青瓷乐器在战国时期流行于太湖—钱塘江流域，青瓷乐器大多仿自青铜乐器，是越国贵族特有的丧葬用器。青瓷乐器的烧造体现出越人高超的制瓷工艺，青瓷乐器的器类组合反映了越国贵族墓葬的礼仪制度和等级制度。越系青瓷又称原始瓷、原始青瓷，是越人的伟大发明，用青瓷烧造仿青铜器的礼器和乐器，是越人的一大创举。http://www.silkroads.org.cn/portal.php?mod=view&aid=58278
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16. 杂志精选| 中国古人如何吃烤肉
    学者马健鹰通过历史文献归纳出先秦时期古人的烤食方法主要有“炮”“炙”“燔”三种。“炙”就是一种把生肉用木棍或其他棍状实物穿叉起来在火上烧烤的熟食方法。在炙烤食物时，穿叉炙物的木棍或其他棍状实物在手中不断转动，炙物就可以周身烤遍。http://www.silkroads.org.cn/portal.php?mod=view&aid=60850
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17. 无锡鸿山越国贵族墓宝藏 硕果空前
    2005-04-08 14:23 中港台时间 | 2000-01-01 24:00 更新
    【大纪元4月8日讯】大陆考古队于2003年3月至2004年12月间对无锡市锡山区鸿山镇开发区范围内的土墩进行考古发掘。15个土墩中有7个墓葬是战国早期的越国贵族墓，出土2000余件随葬器物堪与曾侯乙墓相媲美。
    据扬子晚报报导，鸿山越墓出土的随葬器物是目前已发掘的越国墓葬中等级最高、质地最好且器类最为齐全的。7个墓葬中共出土了2000余件随葬器物，其中丘承墩随葬器物1100余件，许多高等级青瓷礼器、乐器和玉器都是首次被发现和确认。
    鸿山越墓共出土乐器500余件，其数量和品类堪与曾侯乙墓相媲美。出土的青瓷乐器中既有成套的仿中原青铜乐器的编钟、甬钟和石磬，亦有越式的铃形器等，还有以往从未确认的缶，是越国音乐考古的空前发现，堪称种类齐全的庞大地下乐器库。
    宝藏揭秘
    随葬器物随葬器物以丘承墩的等级最高，也最为精美，其中低温琉璃釉陶器为中国首次发现，玉器中使用的微雕工艺炉火纯青，而青瓷器烧造水平远远高于以往常见的原始青瓷。
    丘承墩出土的部分随葬器物有4件琉璃釉盘蛇玲珑球形器，玲珑球是首次发现的最高规格的越国随葬器物，其用途可能为象征王权或神权的神器；玉器近40件；玉覆面1件，龙蚊玉覆面标明墓主的身份与诸侯相当或略低于诸侯；玉带钩1件，为罕见的越国贵族葬玉；玉凤3件，大小及造型略异，呈展翅欲飞状；玉龙凤佩1件，一头为龙形，一头为凤形；玉牒1件；玉龙形佩2件。https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/5/4/8/n882259.htm
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18. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ying_Yuan
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19. This hoard is remarkable. It yielded three national treasures: the “Chen Zhang Round Pot,” a gold beast, and a 610-gram piece of Ying Yuan gold block. Among them, the “Chen Zhang Round Pot” employs techniques such as solid casting, sectional casting, welding, casting joining, gold and silver inlay, and jade inlay, encompassing almost all metal casting techniques of the pre-Qin era. Furthermore, it has numerous important inscriptions on the inner rim of the mouth, the inner side of the foot ring, and the outer side of the foot ring. Due to its weight, it is also one of the treasures of the Nanjing Museum.
    
    这个窖藏很牛。出了3件国宝级文物，即“陈璋圆壶”、金兽、一块重610克的郢爰。其中，“陈璋圆壶”，采用了浑铸、分铸、焊接、铸接，错金银，玉石镶嵌等工艺，几乎涵盖了先秦时代所有的金属铸造工艺手法，且壶口内沿、圈足内侧、圈足外均有数量不等的重要铭文，分量很重，因而它也是南京博物院的镇馆之宝之一。https://www.tang.org.cn/47233.html
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20. “郢”为楚都城名，“爰”为货币重量单位，其含金量在90%以上，质量上好的可达到99%。使用时，根据需要将金版或金饼切割成零
    此郢爰1982年出土于淮安市盱眙县穆店南窑庄窖藏，平面呈长方形，纵12.6厘米横最大处8厘米，厚0.3厘米，边缘斜直。目前出土的整版的“郢爰”重约250-260克左右，正面都刻有排列整齐的篆书“郢爰”阴文印记，印记多少不等。这版郢爰面有完整的纵6行、横9行阴文印记共54个，半印6个，背微弧，光滑。https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/571415469
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21. Bronze Sacrificial Animal Shaped Zun Inlaid with Gilt and Silver 错金银铜牺尊
    Bronzeware | Western Han (202 BC-9 AD) | Unearthed in 1982 in Shangwang Village, Jixia Subdistrict | Nanjing Museum collection
    铜器｜西汉（公元前202年-公元9年）｜1982年出土于稷下街道商王村｜南京博物院藏
    其口角左右饰有银丝胡须，各嵌8枚银质星点；眼睛以墨晶石镶嵌，眉毛由7块绿松石拼成；头顶亦镶嵌绿松石。牺尊颈部佩戴由16枚椭圆银珠组成的项圈（现部分已脱落）。通体铺满金银丝镶嵌的云纹，并装饰有绿松石与孔雀石 。
    牺尊背部驮有一禽鸟形盖钮，禽鸟扁嘴长颈，颈反折，嘴紧贴背上，两翅平展，其羽翎间同样填满绿松石。牺尊的头、身、盖为分铸而成，颈部的项圈巧妙遮掩了头与颈的接合处 。
    此尊为盛酒器，掀开背部的禽鸟盖可向尊腹内注酒，酒液最终从牺尊嘴中流出 。https://baike.baidu.com/item/西汉错金银铜牺尊/61000570
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22. Silver Belt Hook with Inscription of “Forget me not” 长毋相忘银带钩
    Bronze | Western Han (202 BC-9 AD) | Unearthed from the Dayunshan Site, Xuyi County | Nanjing Museum collection.
    铜｜西汉中期｜长3.7厘米，高1.8厘米｜2011年出土于江苏盱眙大云山江都王陵12号墓｜南京博物院藏
    带钩主要用于束带，是汉代人生活的必需品。银、金、玉，亦或水晶，不同质地的带钩也是身份地位的象征。
    这件精致小巧的银带钩出自江都王一位宠妃的墓葬中，钩首似龙头，钩身饰云纹。沿中轴可一分为二，钩身内面铸有吉祥语“长毋相忘”，一侧阴文，一侧阳文，首尾两端榫卯扣合即可合二为一。
    “长毋相忘”是汉代常见的吉祥语，意为“时常想念，切勿忘怀”。言近旨远，情意绵绵。
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23. In ancient times, a mat was laid on the bed. To prevent the mat from shifting or the corners from curling up when getting up or sitting down, “mat weights” were placed at the four corners of the mat.
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24. 錯金銀是古代金屬細工裝飾技法之一，最早見於商周時代的青銅器，盛行於戰國兩 漢時期。其工藝技巧繁複，須先於青銅器表面預先鑄出或鏨刻圖案、銘文所需之凹槽，嵌入金銀絲、片，錘打牢固，再以蠟石將其打磨光滑，突出圖案和銘文裝飾效 果。金銀與青銅的光澤相映成輝，將圖案襯托得格外華美典雅，更顯青銅器之珍貴。https://www.yu-jen.com.tw/zh-tw/lot.php?act=print&id=9907
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25. Tiger-Shaped Bronze Mat Weights Inlaid With Gold And Silver 错金银铜蹲立虎
    Bronze, gold, silver | Western Han (202 BC-9 AD) | Unearthed from the Dayunshan Site, Xuyi County | Nanjing Museum collection.
    铜, 金、银｜西汉（公元前202年-公元9年）｜长43.7厘米，宽10.6厘米，高20.7厘米｜盱眙大云山出土｜南京博物院藏
    刘非墓出土。铜虎一组两件，基本保存完整。整体模铸，比例协调，极具写实性。虎昂首瞠目， 威猛雄健，眼珠镶以黑色矿料，通体以错金银工艺饰虎斑纹。虎在中国古代社会一直被视为兽中之王，虎的形象在汉代壁画、画像石及各类出土器物中均有体现，但内涵各不相同。一方面， 虎与青龙、朱雀、玄武共同构成四神形象，在象征方位的同时，更多发挥辟邪功能；另一方面，它的写实造型常被用于铜镇、铜帐座等日常生活用品，与现实生活紧密相连。刘非墓出土的两件铜虎造型精美，装饰奢华，极可能为其生前喜爱之物。刘非本人极为尚武，这两件铜虎展现出的王者之气恰与其性格高度契合。https://www.njmuseum.org.cn/es/collectionDetails?id=423
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26. Bronze crossbow inlaid with gold and silver 错金银铜弩机
    Bronze | Western Han (202 BC-9 AD) | Nanjing Museum collection.
    铜｜西汉（公元前202年-公元9年）｜南京博物院藏
    弩机保存完好，郭、望山、牙、钩心、悬刀均可自如转动，唯有瞄准具未设。弩机露于木拊之外均施错金银装饰，望山上五组：分别为蛇形龙纹、凤纹、金蛇纹、奔兽纹、飞鹤纹；双牙上两组：外侧面为一对奔鹿，正面为一对灵鹤牙下转轮上为两只飞雁；键两端两组：一为白虎和朱雀，另一为奔鹿和奔兽。比较复杂的是郭台及箭槽内的图案，郭台后部为白虎啮野猪图，前部则为两组对称的奔鹿图；斗山和牙槽边上则用金丝装饰了13组复合菱形小图案。箭槽中画有利剑和大雁图案：一支金色利箭脱弦而出，前方两只大雁仓皇而逃。方寸之间，大雁的表情和形态刻画得栩栩如生，似乎可听到两只大雁的哀鸣。https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/571415469
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27. 《后汉书》中更有明确记载：“帝崩，唅以珠，缠以缇缯十二重。以玉为襦，如铠状，连缝之，以黄金为缕。腰以下以玉为札，长一尺，广二寸半，为柙，下至足，亦缝以黄金镂。诸衣衿敛之。凡乘舆衣服，已御，辄藏之，崩皆以敛。诸侯王、列侯、始封贵人、公主薨，皆令赠印玺、玉柙银缕；大贵人、长公主铜缕。”
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28. Gold royal seal inscribed with Chinese characters “Guang Ling Wang Xi” 广陵王玺
    Gold｜Eastern Han (25-220 AD) | Unearthed from Yangzhou city | Nanjing Museum collection
    金器｜东汉（公元25-220年）｜扬州甘泉二号墓出土｜南京博物院藏
    这件1981年出土于汉江甘泉山2号广陵王墓的龟钮金印为东汉光武帝刘秀的第九子广陵王刘荆所有。精巧玲珑的金印系高纯度黄金浇铸而成，饰面具有金色光泽，看上去庄重大气。印面长度为2.4厘米，宽度为2.4厘米。龟扣高2.1厘米，台高0.95厘米，重122.9克。金龟身上錾刻精美的六角形龟背纹和圈形的鱼子纹饰。只有2.3厘米见方的印面上有阴刻篆书“广陵王玺”四字。
    此前，汉代诸侯王的玺印只发现有汉朝中央政府赐予边疆民族的“滇王金印”和“匈奴王印”， 此龟钮金印与汉代诸侯王印尺寸、重量、形制的规定完全相符，是迄今发现的唯一一枚汉代刘姓诸侯王的金印，也破解了日本延续近200年的“汉委奴国王”金印真伪的悬案，印证了1784年春出土于日本九州福冈县志贺岛的一枚蛇钮金印 “汉委奴国王”印的真实性，成为中日交往最早的实物“旁证”。
    除了独特的史料价值，此印文布局疏密有致，行笔直中有曲，转折、收笔方正，篆书中兼有隶书韵味，苍劲古朴的字迹端庄而凝重，打破了以往篆刻家认为纯金质地过软、不适于雕刻的历史推论。因为“广陵王玺”四字明显是用刀刻成的。推测是用及其锋利的薄刃钢刀，沿长笔画的边缘，以双刀正入，而后用宽1毫米左右的平头小刀在笔画两端剔平。这种刀刻金印的技法，为研究我国篆刻史提供了新资料，堪称汉印中的稀世珍品，被视作文物断代的标准器物，在中华文明史上具有极为重要的文化传承价值。https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/571415469
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29. Han Stone Murals from Pizhou Stone Tomb 邳州山头汉画像石墓
    Stone | Eastern Han (25-220 AD) | Unearthed from Shantou, Pizhou | Nanjing Museum collection.
    石雕｜东汉（公元25年-220年）｜邳州山头出土｜南京博物院藏
    山头墓群（又称邳州山头东汉墓地）位于江苏省邳州市戴庄镇山头村西，为东汉早中期中小地主阶层的家族墓地。墓群现存45座东汉墓葬、3座明清墓葬及隍壕，墓葬形制包含土坑砖室墓、砖室券顶墓和砖石混合结构墓，墓道多朝正北，墓主头向南，结构完整且分组明显 。https://baike.baidu.com/item/山头墓群/58579948
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30. Han Stone Murals from Pizhou Stone Tomb 邳州山头汉画像石墓
    Stone | Eastern Han (25-220 AD) | Unearthed from Shantou, Pizhou | Nanjing Museum collection.
    石雕｜东汉（公元25年-220年）｜邳州山头出土｜南京博物院藏
    这所汉画像石墓发现于邳州戴庄镇梁王城遗址，是一座东汉晚期砖石混合结构的墓葬。画像石是汉代用于墓葬墓地祠堂等建筑上雕刻画像的建筑构饰，东汉时盛行。这座墓有墓道，前室后室耳室组成，庭室保存完整，南京博物院对该墓整体搬迁复原陈列。
    在前后室的山墙和门柱，后室的厚壁，耳室的门楣门柱上都刻有画像，有宾侍者祥禽瑞兽以及菱形纹十字形纹等，雕刻精美内容丰富。构图上一般分上下两三层。下层刻现实生活场景，表现对墓主人在另一个世界过上富贵生活的祈愿。上中层刻祥禽瑞兽等虚幻情景，表现汉代人对长生不死羽化登仙的幻想和向往。
    https://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_657afec80102x20e.html
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31. Stone Mural of the Textile Production Scene “纺织图”画像石
    Stone | Eastern Han (25-220 AD) | Unearthed from Sihong County | Nanjing Museum collection.
    石雕｜东汉（公元25年-220年）｜泗洪出土｜南京博物院藏
    画像石分4层，4个主题，第二层的主题便是纺织，但南京博物院的这幅纺织图非一般的纺织场景，表现的是“曾母投杼”的历史典故。https://www.tang.org.cn/47233.html
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32. 曾母投杼
    《戰國策》卷四.秦二.〈秦武王謂甘茂〉：甘茂至，王問其故。對曰：「宜陽，大縣也，上黨、南陽積之久矣，名為縣，其實郡也。今王倍數險，行千里而攻之，難矣。
    　昔者曾子處費，費人有與曾子同名族者而殺人，人告曾子母曰：『曾參殺人。』曾子之母曰：『吾子不殺人。』織自若。有頃焉，人又曰：『曾參殺人。』其母尚織自若也。頃之，一人又告之曰：『曾參殺人。』其母懼，投杼逾牆而走。夫以曾參之賢，與母之信也，而三人疑之，則慈母不能信也。今臣之賢不及曾子，而王之信臣，又未若曾子之母也，疑臣者不適三人，臣恐王為臣之投杼也。」王曰：「寡人不聽也，請與子盟。」於是與之盟於息壤。
    
    曾母，指曾參的母親。杼，織布用的梭。 曾母投杼 指因曾母再三聽說曾參殺人，終於心生恐懼，丟下手中梭具踰牆逃走。比喻流言可畏或誣枉的災禍。
    https://rub.ihp.sinica.edu.tw/~hanrelief/h/h08_0201_0302.htm
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33. Stone Mural of the Textile Production Scene “纺织图”画像石
    Stone | Eastern Han (25-220 AD) | Unearthed from Sihong County | Nanjing Museum collection.
    石雕｜东汉（公元25年-220年）｜高93厘米、宽61厘米｜泗洪县曹庄公社出土｜南京博物院藏
    内容从上至下分4层来表现。第一、第三、第四层分别表现迎宾、烹饪、祭祀等内容，第二层即“纺织图”。此图主题突出，雕工精湛，图像清晰，内容所反映的当时纺织生产情况的价值很大，是汉代纺织图中具有代表性的一幅。此图把历史故事与纺织合二为一，构图别具一格。画面上共刻3人，刻的是“曾母投杼”的故事。左边坐在织机上的妇女是曾母，中间跪着的少年是曾参，右边站着的男子为“谗言者”。人物因性别、年龄和身份不同，其衣冠有别，表情各异，神态生动；而器具，大如织机，小如梭杼，也雕刻精细。整个画面主次分明、结构有序、细腻精美、生动谐和，是一幅具有较高历史、艺术价值的汉画像石精品。
    “曾母投杼”故事始见于《战国策》，因有人误言曾参杀人了，曾母“投杼逾墙而走”。不过，此图刻画的不是曾母“逾墙而走”，而是改为曾母怒斥曾子，投杼于地。此图采用东汉中晚期盛行的平面浅浮雕技法雕刻而成，即先将石面磨平，在其上绘制墨线画稿，再经雕刻、修整，最后局部设色。此图主要是为了宣扬“孝”，故将母子二人刻于画面中心位置，而将“谗言者”安排在画面一侧；因画面左侧内容较多，为使画面左右平衡一些，故把右侧的“谗言者”刻得大一些。https://baike.baidu.com/item/汉纺织图画像石/5360045
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34. Grey Pottery Lamp 灰陶九枝灯
    Pottery｜Eastern Han (25-220 AD) | Unearthed from Gudun of Shilipu, Xuzhou City | Nanjing Museum collection
    陶器｜东汉（公元25-220年）｜徐州十里铺姑墩出土｜南京博物院藏
    东汉九枝灯为东汉时期陶质灯具，1964年出土于江苏徐州十里铺，现藏于南京博物院。灯具主体由覆盆形灯座与中心立柱构成，柱身分上、中、下三层伸出九支曲枝灯盏。上层曲枝端饰羊首，中层为龙首，下层为虎首，兽首均施朱彩，额顶设圆形灯盏插孔。灯盏呈浅圆盘状，盘底短柄可精准嵌入兽首孔位，实现便捷拆装。其分层错落布局与兽形装饰结合，兼具实用功能与艺术造型，高53厘米的器型比例协调，是汉代灯具工艺的典范之作 。https://baike.baidu.com/item/东汉九枝灯/2900376
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