Tang Center for Early China

唐氏早期中國研究中心
(中文網頁)  (日本語ページ)
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
  • Home
  • About
    • Our Mission
    • People
      • Administration
      • Executive Committee
      • Visiting Scholars
      • Postdoctoral Fellows
    • Founding of the Center
    • Newsletter
      • Spring 2019
      • Fall 2018
      • Spring 2018
      • Fall 2017
      • Spring 2017
      • Fall 2016
    • Links
      • Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures
      • P.Y. and Kinmay W. Tang Center for East Asian Art
      • P.Y. and Kinmay W. Tang Center for Silk Road Studies
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Past Events
    • Media Library
  • Programs
    • The Early China Seminar Series
    • The Tang Special Annual Lecture in Archaeology
    • The Tang Post-Doctoral Research Award in Early China Studies
    • The Tang Visiting Scholar’s Fellowship
    • Workshop and Conference Grants
    • Past Recipients and Fellows
    • The Tang Pre-Doctoral Research Grant in Early China Studies – for Columbia applicants
    • The Tang Special Prize Fellowship – for Columbia applicants
  • Early China Seminar
  • Tang Lectures
  • Workshops & Conferences
  • Publications
    • Tang Center Series in Early China
    • Co-sponsored Publications

March 3, 2023

Early China Seminar Lecture Series

Title: “Art and Technology: Early “Animal Style” Gold Artifacts Found in Northwest China and the Eurasian steppes”
Speaker: Yan (Fiona) Liu, Columbia University / Northwestern Polytechnical University (China)
Time: March 3, 2023 (4:30-6:30 PM EST)
Venue: Faculty House
*Please check the announcement board in the first floor lobby for room information.
**Please see Seminar Safety Guidelines for attendance information.

Precious metals recently discovered from the Dongtalede cemetery in the Xinjiang Altai region and other burial sites in northwest China (dating from the 9th century to the 3rd century BCE) have attracted much attention for their artistic mastery and fine craftsmanship. This is especially true of gold ornaments rendered in animal styles, such as ibex, snow leopard, boar, deer, and other zoomorphic figures, and which are closely linked to gold objects excavated in Central Asia and Southern Siberia. Through discussing the industry and political economy of gold crafting in early China, we will look at the manufacturing techniques and ornamental details of “animal style” gold artifacts from an interdisciplinary perspective. Multispectral non-destructive analyses of tool marks and microstructure of selected samples reveal specific gold-making technologies of the time, such as double-sided carving and mould-pressing techniques. The results show that gold production was practiced under elite control and that craftsmanship varied in early Iron Age northwest China. Patterns of compositional data pertaining to the “animal style” appliqués found in Dongtalede, Balikun (Xinjiang), and Majiayuan (Gansu) sites and their counterparts in the Eurasian steppes also point to various mineral provenances.

Request Pre-circulated Paper

Filed Under: events_2022_2023, seminar_spa_2022_2023

Announcement

April 11, 2025 – Online
Early China Seminar – Noa Hegesh
New Publication – Tang Center Series in Early China
Remembrance in Clay and Stone – Hajni Elias

Contact:

Tang Center for Early China – Columbia University
606 Uris Hall, MC 5984
3022 Broadway
New York, NY 10027

Mailing address:
509 Kent Hall, MC 3907
1140 Amsterdam Ave,
Tel: 212.854.5546  Fax: 212.851.2510
E-mail: [email protected]

  • MEMBERSHIP
  • FEEDBACK
  • GIVE

Follow us on:

Copyright © 2025 · Tang Center for Early China