This broad-axe is thick and solid, inlaid with delicate and beautiful decorations which are very well preserved. There are two rectangular holes on the body for leather straps to pass through to fix wooden handle.
Yue is a long-handled arc-bladed hacking weapon, as well as an instrument of torture. This function was clearly manifested in the pictographic characters of head-chopping on the inscriptions of bronzes. However, some Yue like this large and heavy broad-axe, with flat end and edgeless blade, without any trace of use, are assumed to be for ritual use only. This kind of Yue is generally found in tombs along with other exquisite funerary objects, as a symbol of monarchical or military power.

Jia is a wine vessel used for sacrificial rituals. From the traces of soot on the outer base and the white watermark in the belly, it can be deduced that it is also a vessel used to heat wine. Bronze Jia appeared in the late Xia and its shape matured by the mid-Shang. In the mid-Shang dynasty, they usually had a flat bottom, so a pouch-shaped like this was quite uncommon.
The surface of the vessel is decorated with animal-mask motif with dense and exaggerated lines, showing a mysterious and dignified style. It is the only piece with such decoration among the existing bronze Jia of the mid-Shang dynasty.

Lei is a large wine vessel commonly seen in the late Shang and mid-Western Zhou dynasties. Bronze art saw its peak in the late Shang dynasty. This piece of work is imposing and dignified, exquisite and magnificent, standing out among all its kind. It is in six-layer high relief design from top to bottom against a background of fine and beautiful cloud and thunder pattern. The rim, the upper belly and the ring foot are decorated with bird-like designs, with symmetric dragon designs at the shoulders, a front beast head of big spiral horns in the middle, animal-mask motifs on the middle and lower parts of the belly and sharp clawed feet at the bottom. Some protruding parts like the horns and dragon tails are decorated with intaglio lines, showing a ferocious and mystical beauty. This is a typical ware of ‘three-section all-over pattern vessel’, representing the supreme level of bronze casting technology at its peak.

Gui, as a food vessel, had gradually become a major artefact in the bronze sacrificial wares after its advent in the early Shang. By the mid-Western Zhou, the use of Gui was gradually institutionalized. The number of vessels used was clearly regulated according to the rank of the user, usually in even numbers matched with Ding.
Bird-like patterns are often used to adorn the rims on the rectangular walls of the vessels of the late Shang and early Zhou, such as the belly part of square Ding and the stand of Gui.
The inscription of the only word Jia found in the inner base is the name of the owner. This is an example of the Zhou people marking with Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches.

Da Ke Ding was excavated in cellar of Famen Temple, Fufeng County, Shaanxi province in Guangxu reign period. There were some smaller Dings and chimes unearthed with it. It is the master treasure of the Shanghai Museum collection, also a widely cited and world-famous national treasure. With its majestic and stately shape, smooth and grand decoration, this Ding perfectly integrates the pictorial and sculptural art of that time. The traditional patterns and designs from the early Zhou changed completely and Da Ke Ding witnessed the transitional moment.
There is a long inscription of 28 lines of 290 characters inside the vessel whose content can be divided into two. The first is a eulogy from the Shanfu (an official position, similar to royal chef) Ke to his grandfather, Shi Hua Fu who assisted Zhou. The second records the rewards Ke received from the King Xiao of Zhou since he took his office. The inscriptions are in large, simple and regulated characters with powerful strokes and well-proportioned layout.

Pan is a water container used to contain the used water after ritual washing at sacrificial ceremonies and banquets during the Shang and Zhou periods. The ritual of washing by pouring water fell out of use in the Warring States Period. Pan gradually became a water container, also known as Xi (washer).
The interior is decorated with many aquatic animals, either in relief or three-dimension. With fish, turtle, frog, water bird all available, it is just like a scene in an aquarium. The most extraordinary feature is that all the round-carved animals can be swivelled in 360 degrees. When water pours into Pan, the fish, tortoise, frog and bird move in the water as if alive. It is an unprecedented wonderful creation. The casting workmanship is remarkable for its time, because it overcame the technical problem of the adhesion of moving parts, with the animal stems cast in the thin layer of the base, making them vertical without collision with each other when spinning.
An inscription of 32 characters is cast inside the Pan, meaning the master made this Pan for washing up for his wife, Zhong Jiang on the seventh of June on lunar calendar and it was large and wonderful.

Unearthed at the tomb of the Marquis of Jin, Beizhao Village, Quwo County, Shanxi province in 1992, this set of musical chimes with a total of 16 pieces, can be divided into two groups, with 8 pieces for each. Lining up according to size, these pieces can form two rows of chimes with harmonious scales and rhythms. With a total of 355 characters inscriptions carved, this is the first of its kind in the bronze inscription in the Western Zhou. The inscriptions record the time and merits of Marquis Su on his expedition with King Li of Zhou to the east which was unseen in the history books and an important supplement to the history materials of Western Zhou. In addition, the almanac of the Western Zhou can be deduced according to the inscriptions.

This piece of work is modelled like a water buffalo. The belly of the buffalo is hollow and there are three holes from its neck to the end of its back. Inside the middle one, there is a removable pot-shaped container. Judging from its structure, it is a wine-warming vessel. Hot water can be poured into the hollow belly to heat the wine in the pot-shaped container on the back. Modelling wine vessel Zun in animal shapes is a unique feature of Chinese bronzes.
The vessel looks dignified. The four legs are short but the two powerful horns and wide-open eyes retain the sense of reality, combining the artistic conception and utility harmoniously. The ring in the nose indicates that as early as in the Spring and Autumn period, domestication of cattle by piercing the nose had already begun. It is a valuable material object for the study of China's history of the domestication of livestock. It is finely decorated in shallow relief with animal faces composed of coiled dragon and snake patterns on the buffalo’s head, neck, body and legs. Reliefs of tigers and rhinoceros in vivid forms and beautiful workmanship are found around the neck of the buffalo and on the pot-shaped container.

The drum stand is a hemispheroid with ring-foot. The raised hollow cylinder in the centre is used to insert the drum column. Twelve intertwined circular engraved coiled dragons scramble on the hemispherical drum surface. The dragon head holding a ring in its mouth is carved in the round and the dragon bodies are of high relief. The eyes of the 12 dragons are round but hollow, which were likely inlaid but are missing now. As both ends of the dragon horns are empty slots, it is likely that similar decorations were also inlaid.
This work is a combination of the carving in the round, high relief, low relief and intaglio techniques and an integration of different craft process including separate casting, forging, copper brazing, pewter work, inlaying and so on. The dynamic shapes and symmetrical layout make up a three-dimensional sculpture where a group of dragons intertwine with each other with their heads rising and tails wagging. It is a model of the combination of casting and sculptural art.

Cowrie container is a special bronze ware of the Dian people of Yunnan area. It got its name because it contained money cowrie when unearthed, with eight yaks of different gestures on the cover. The vessel is shaped like a wasp-waisted cylinder with a big yak and seven small yaks cast on the cover. The big yak in the centre stands on the drum-shaped stool, with its long and curved horns raising forward, looking powerful and vigorous. Seven small yaks stand along the edge of the cover with their heads and tails drooping. Two tiger-shaped ears are cast on the waist of the vessel with imposing gesture and covetous eyes.
Unearthed at Lijiashan, Jiangchuan, Yunnan province, this relic is an iconic artefact reflecting the characteristics of Yunnan bronze culture. Yunnan bronze wares are often seen decorated with yak and tiger motifs.

This pottery figurine from Sichuan is red in color due to the local soil. The head and body were molded separately and joined at the neck. Eastern Han pottery figurines always wear a smile, whether figurines playing the zither or the flute, or laboring or cooking. The figurine is simple in shape, retaining the primitive and original features with a rough and heavy feeling. The vivid and lively appearance of the figurine fully reflects the relaxed and pleasant mood and expression of the player who was immersed in the melody.

This Buddhist stele is so named because it is engraved with its pilgrims’ names: Wang Longsheng and others. It is carved in bas-relief. The upper part of the stele carving shows the debate between Manjusri Bodhisattva and Vimalakirti. The middle part of the niche is enshrined with a Buddha and two Bodhisattvas. Beneath it is a Buddha worshipping scene carved respectively with groups of figures either standing, walking, or riding on horse or carriage. The figures in the scene were presented strictly according to the ranking of honorable masters to humble servants, with the former in taller and larger images and the latter in gaunt and timid images.
The carving of this stele is lively and vivid, embodied with complex contents, presented mainly through the skillful craft of bas-relief, with the carving on the back and the sides delicate and refined as well.

The statue is carved from a white marble. His face looks plump with his eyes half closed, looking downward, and the corners of his lips rise slightly in a faint smile. Both of his hands are incomplete, but the preaching gesture is still distinguishable. The gorgeous backlight of the Buddha foils the five Buddhas sitting on lotuses among flaming fire, with a lotus pattern in the centre, surrounded by a circle of lotus motifs. Shakyamuni Buddha looks graceful and elegant, with a clear, wise and kind expression, bearing a bright, intelligent and kind look, coupled with the fine and magnificent backlight, which creates a solemn harmonious feeling.

The common bronze Buddha statue usually appears as a single piece, while this piece of work is presented in the form of an altar table, showing a sense of dimensional space, as if it is unfolding the Buddhist world in front of us. On this rectangular altar table stands an Amitabha with two bodhisattvas, two Buddhist pilgrims and two Dharma lions. There are two empty sockets on each side of Amitabha, originally designed to place statues of two disciples, which are lost.
This triple statue of Amitabha shows exquisite workmanship. The haloes were lost-wax cast in openwork craft, the elaboration of which is stunning. Every grain of the pearls on the necklaces of Bodhisattva is clear and distinct. The lines (such as the hair) on the lions in the front were delicately incised after the whole piece was cast.

Plumpness is regarded as beautiful in Buddha statues in the Tang dynasty; both the Bodhisattva and also the Buddha statues look chubby, which indicate the generosity of the state and the strong national strength.
This kneeling Bodhisattva, made from white marble with meticulous craft, looks quiet and sweet with a full face and downward looking eyes. The long dress hung from the slim waist looks dynamic with vivid carving of the drapes. And the incomplete arms often associate with the grace of a Venus. This is a masterpiece of the Bodhisattva statues of the Tang dynasty.

Wooden statues of the Tang dynasty are extremely difficult to preserve. There is a hollow frame carved behind the niche of the wooden head of Kashyapa to support the halo on one hand, and unexpectedly prevents the wood from cracking on the other hand, allowing this work to be preserved till today. With the head about one meter high, one can imagine its giant body. The statue was placed in a temple, which must also have been very magnificent. It was decorated with heavy and bright gilding and color paint; however, the paint peeled off over the long years and the wood grain was exposed, showing the beauty and simplicity of wood carving art.

Named after the excavated Banshan Tomb in Gansu province, Banshan Type is the most typical pottery of Majiayao Culture with a history of about 4,300 to 4,600 years. Banshan Type painted pottery usually adopts black paints, mainly featuring various geometrical patterns, many of which are edged with black saw-tooth design in sleek and dynamic lines, presenting a vivid aesthetic feeling of primitive art. The pottery with its fine and smooth paste, full and plump shape and dense and complex pattern, possesses the typical features of Banshan Type painted pottery.

Proto-porcelain is a kind of very early celadon porcelain, popular in the Shang dynasty and the Warring States Period. It is molded with clay with an iron content of about 2%, and then fired in 1200 ℃ high temperature after manual glazing. This Zun looks noble and stylish in both shape and glaze and shares the same style with the pottery unearthed from the tombs of Yin Ruins Culture, Shang dynasty. It should be the drinking vessel used by the Shang royal family and a typical proto-porcelain of the Shang dynasty.

Tri-color glazed pottery is the umbrella name of the polychrome glazed pottery of the Tang dynasty, mostly in yellow, green and white colors. This piece with a female figurine riding on a horse is vivid, realistic and lifelike. The horse has a slightly small head and stocky strong necks and shining eyes. Its hips are strong and round, and legs are long and slender. The horse has snow-white hair and its mane is combed neatly. The horsetail is tied into a small bun and the saddle decoration shows the utmost luxury. Its head slightly turns to the left, full of dynamic, just like a lifelike high bred steed in both expression and posture. The whole piece of the pottery is exquisite in workmanship and is a masterpiece of the tri-color glazed pottery of the Tang dynasty.

This porcelain pillow is white glazed all over, with smooth glaze, strong vitreous shine and white and refined body. A dense and smooth interlaced floral branch design is carved on the pillow surface all over, below which there is a flat seat in the shape of palace imitating timber architecture, the doors and windows, the gate arch, the foundation and the steps of which are lifelike. The front door is tightly closed and the back one half open with a man standing sideway in front of it. The whole work looks unique and ingenious. Porcelain pillows first were seen in the Tang dynasty and grew extensively popular in the Song and Jin dynasties. But, as the only piece of its kind in China’s domestic collections, such a porcelain pillow engraved with the design of palace and figures in openwork is rare.

Ge Kiln is one of the five famous kilns of the Song dynasty, also the only one with its location yet to be found. This washer, with a thick body and smooth glaze of beige, is covered in crackles of different sizes on the surface of its glaze. As the big black crackles and small yellow ones are interwoven with each other, the pattern is called Jin Si Tie Xian meaning golden threads interwoven with iron wires. With its refined and structured craft and its dignified and elegant shape, this piece is a typical extant work of Ge Kiln.

The rim and outer wall of the jar is coated with white engobe and applied with transparent glaze on top. The black fills the space between the designs as ground, which are floral motifs dominated by the peony. With its size and rough and blunt craft, this jar embodies the general features of northern folk porcelain. But seen from its unique decoration technique and style, it is a reflection of Khitan ethnic style.

Decorated with blue-and-white patterns all over with rich layers, this vase is an exquisite work of underglaze blue porcelain of the Yuan dynasty. The Yunjian design of the decoration band on the shoulder is almost at the same level of the band of interlaced branches and peony sprays at the belly part, highlighting two different themes.

On the basis of the Chenghua Doucai technology, the famous Wucai (blue-and-white polychrome) porcelain was developed during the Jiajing and Wanli periods of the Ming dynasty. Blue-and-white polychrome, gaudy and fervent with simple and natural filling, was once overwhelming. The prevailing of the official polychrome porcelain during the Jiajing reign period was perhaps closely associated with the reverence of Taoism and the belief in exorcising evil spirits with polychrome colors by the Emperor Jiajing himself. The polychrome decorations usually take blue as ground and then five colors of red, yellow, blue, green and aubergine are added. These five colors may not all be available according to the pattern.

Famille Rose is a new over-glaze color variety developed on the basis of Kangxi polychrome porcelain of the Qing dynasty. It first appeared in the late Kangxi period and reached its prime in the Yongzheng period. Famille Rose porcelain later took the place of polychrome porcelain and became the mainstream of over-glaze colors of the Qing dynasty. The Yongzheng and Qianlong periods saw the most exquisite Famille Rose porcelain. Qianlong Famille Rose is remarkable for its diversified styling, beautiful and elegant colors, as well as its novelty decoration, while Yongzheng Famille Rose is even superior for its clean body and moist glaze, beautiful shape combined with soft color and elegant pattern. The peach tree and bat pattern delicately painted with Famille Rose on this olive-shaped vase implies the auspicious meaning of ‘felicity and longevity’ by bat and peach. The pattern of this theme is commonly used on big or small dishes, but is rarely seen on an olive-shaped vase. There are very few olive-shaped Famille Rose vases handed down and this is the only one seen.

The outer wall of the jar is glazed with powder blue, decorated with cloud and dragon design relief in two groups. Each group has two dancing and flying dragons, snapping and clawing, playing with a fire pearl, with the sea water design under their bellies.
The Yongzheng period marked the mastery of the iron content and reducing atmosphere control for the celadon-glazed porcelain. With the guaranteed celadon glaze color, this period promoted Chinese celadon glazed porcelain to new heights. This work has the standard hue and stable color of celadon and is in large and orderly shape and structure, signifying the high level molding and firing at that time. The distinctive cloud and dragon design is elaborate and the work on them is time-consuming. It is the high-cost masterpiece of the imperial kiln.

Ox scapula inscriptions are the written records of the sacrificial activities of the Shang dynasty. The whole piece of oracle bone is basically intact with the complete inscriptions. It is the first part of a complete set of inscribed oracle bones. The inscriptions are records of the kings worshipping their ancestors and nature gods, praying for a good harvest by sacrificing sheep and cattle.
Oracle is the most ancient Chinese character font known so far, notable for its simplicity and dignity.

Mi Fu (1051-1107) is also known by his zi (designated name) Yuanzhang and hao (literary name) Haiyue Waishi and Xiangyang Manshi. He once lived in Xiangyang, Hubei province and later settled down in Zhejiang, Jiangsu province. In the third year of the Chongning reign (1104), he was summoned by Emperor Huizong as a master of calligraphy and painting. Together with Su Shi, Huang Tingjian and Cai Xiang, he shares the fame of “the four master calligraphers of the Song dynasty”.

Dong Qichang (1555-1636), a calligraphy master native of Huating (known as Songjiang now in Shanghai), is also known by his zi (designated name) Xuanzai and hao (literary name) Xiangguang Jushi. He obtained the degree of jinshi after passing palace exam session of imperial examination in the seventeenth year (1589) of the Wanli reign. He later got promoted to the Minister of Rites in the Nanjing court. Dong was titled Wenmin posthumously. This work was created in the thirty-seventh year (1609) of Wanli reign, when the artist was fifty-five years old.

This painting depicts the dancing and rehearsal scenes of the female entertainers at the imperial court of the Southern Song dynasty. In the painting, the female entertainers, old musician and young maid stand in the courtyard holding a variety of musical instruments. They are all dressed in typical clothing of the Southern Song, which vividly reflects the socio-cultural life of the period. Paintings themed with singing and dancing female entertainers are rarely seen in the figure paintings of the Southern Song dynasty. This work enjoys a very high historical and artistic value.

Zhao Mengfu (1254-1322) is also known by his zi (designated name) Zi’ang and his hao (literary name) Songxue Daoren. A native of Wuxing (present-day Huzhou, Zhejiang province), Zhao Mengfu was a well-known painter of the Yuan dynasty, adept in painting landscapes, figures, horses with saddles and flowers in fresh and delicate brush strokes. He initiated a new painting style of the Yuan dynasty.

Zhang Wo (?-ca. 1356), is also known by his zi (designated name) Shuhou and his hao (literary name) Zhenqisheng. Though a native of Huainan, he resided in Hangzhou. The artist was especially good at drawing figures. This work was a copy after a work by a Northern-song artist named Li Gonglin, to embody Nine Songs (in pinyin, jiu ge) from Elegies of Chu (in pinyin, chu ci). There is a postscript written by Wu Rui (1298-1355) after each picture, dated the 6^th year of Zhizheng reign (1346).

Lyu Ji (1477-?) was a court painter of the Ming dynasty. He was well accomplished in subjects such as cranes, peacocks, phoenix, and mandarin ducks, and also good at bird-and-flower painting in ink-wash, equally famous with Lin Liang, another court painter. 
Lyu Ji's bird-and-flower paintings feature accurate modelling, lively forms, and grand background layout, with stately and majestic qualities.

Xia Chang (1388-1470) was an expert in bamboo painting, boasting for ‘A bamboo of Master Xia equals ten gold ingots of Xiliang’. 
As a leading figure of the realistic school of bamboo painting of the Ming dynasty, he emphasized the environment, often arranging bamboos in natural settings. He was very expressive in painting the natural gestures of bamboo swaying in wind and rain.

Shen Zhou (1427-1509) is also known by his zi (designated name) Qinan and his hao (literary names) Shitian and Baishiweng. A native of Changzhou (present-day Wuxian, Jiangsu province), Shen Zhou was adept in painting landscape, flower and bird. He is one of the “Four Masters of the Ming”.

Chen Chun (1484-1544), also known by his zi (designated name) Daofu and his hao (literary name) Baiyang, was a native of Suzhou in Jiangsu province. Especially good at painting free-style flowers, the artist was often mentioned together with his peer Xu Wei as “Qingteng and Baiyang”. This work was dated the 16^th year of Jiajing reign (1537) when the artist was fifty-four years old.

Dong Qichang (1555-1636) is also known by his zi (designated name) Xuanzai and his hao (literary name) Xiangguang. A native of Huating (present-day Songjiang, Shanghai), Dong Qichang is famous for his landscape using exquisite ink washes and delicate strokes. These leaves were completed in the forty-fifth year of Wanli reign (1617) when the artist was sixty-three years old.

Shen Quan (1682-ca. after 1762) is also known by his zi (designated name) Hengzhi and his hao (literary name) Nanpin. A native of Wuxing-or, according to other record, from Deqing (present-day Huzhou, Zhejiang), Shen Quan was adept in painting flowers, birds and animals in a meticulous manner. This scroll was completed in the ninth year of Qianlong reign (1744) when the artist was sixty-three years old.

Yun Shouping (1633-1690) original name Ge, is also known by his zi (designated name) Shouping and his hao (literary name) Nantian. A native of Changzhou, Jiangsu province, Yun Shouping, one of the “Six Masters of the Early Qing”, excelled in landscape and flower painting. These album leaves were painted in the sixteenth year of the Kangxi reign (1677) when the artist was forty-five years old.

Official seals in the Warring States Period had reflected the ranking system by using different materials. In the states of Qi, Zhao, Wei and Han, the emperors and lords began to use jade to make their official seals. This jade seal created in Zhao, Wei and Han states was the official seal granted to the Lord Chun’an, which indicated that jade seals had become a new symbol of social status.

The Qin and Han official seals were established with strict hierarchy marks. Different seal knobs and seal materials represented different social ranks, varying from the Son of Heaven to subordinate officials. This silver seal with turtle-shaped knob was the official seal awarded to ‘the great general Guanghan’ in the late Western Han dynasty. The shape and structure of the turtle-shaped knob imply the art of being a minister - to retire after success.

One of the early uses of seals was to affix to the sealing clay to prevent illicit opening by others when bamboo and wood slips, or other materials, were delivered. This clay impression is a Western Han dynasty relic. The owner of the seal was the Vassal King Liu Pijiang of Hejian, who was enfeoffed in the early Han dynasty.

Zhao Zhiqian was a versatile man of the late Qing dynasty, noted for painting, calligraphy and seal carving. His seal with inscription Ci Lan Tang was commissioned by Pan Zuyin, the Minister of Works. Pan named his building Ci Lan Tang (House of the Awarded Orchid Brush) for being granted by Empress Dowager Cixi with the Orchid Brush. This seal is decorated with vigorous double dragons. The seal script followed the style of calligraphy style of Deng Shiru, showing free and dynamic momentum.

Hu Jue's seal carving has a sparse and natural layout and quiet temperament. This seal is one of his masterpieces. It is engraved with the full text of the 324 words of Preface to the Orchid Pavilion with carving on the sides, and on the top of the seal stone is inscribed with Wu Cheng's painting of Lanting Winding Stream, which not only increases the multifaceted elements of the seal, but also demonstrates the author's versatile art accomplishment.

Chinese seal materials are full of varieties, including metal, bone, jade, bamboo and pyrophyllite. Before the Ming dynasty, seals were made for practical purposes, and generally were made of copper, jade and ivory. Most were made of copper, hence came ‘the age of copper seals’. After the Ming dynasty, with the rise of literati seal carving, stone seal materials cheap in price, soft in texture and easy to carve, were introduced to the field of seal carving and became the main material, forming ‘the age of stones seals’ in the development of seal history. The main material used for stone seal carving in the Ming and Qing dynasties was pyrophyllite. This kind of material with a soft and delicate texture, and a rich and mild lustre, is highly expressive on engraving with high ornamental value and is the preferred material for carving seals. Qingtian Stone, Shoushan Stone and Changhua Stone are among the most prestigious ones.
The seal knob, also known as seal nose, is the part to tie with or to pinch by hand. The knobs prior to the Qin dynasty were more practical, such as nose knob, pillar knob and knob with hook. Some of them also showed decorative taste, such as pavilion knob, animal knob, and figure knob. By the Qin and Han dynasties, the turtle-shaped and nose knob became quite common. The official seals in the Sui and Tang dynasties and Northern Song and Southern Song dynasties usually had the simple and practical nose knobs, wooden knobs, and small stake knobs. But after the Song and Yuan dynasties, with the revival of private seals, the knob making also developed into some new forms, with the appearance of a variety of animal, figure shapes. Ming and Qing dynasties marked the heyday of the art of seal knobs. With the rise of carved stone seals and development of literary seal carving, people began to pay more attention to the ornamental value of the knobs, from the court to the common, thus promoting the prosperity of seal knobs production in terms of themes, techniques, and styles.

Cong was a sacrificial vessel as well as an object used for burial and funeral ceremonies. This piece was carved with the simplified deity mask pattern on the upper part and the simplified mythological creature mask pattern on the lower part. Both sides of the masks are decorated with flying birds, symbolizing the messengers of the deity.

The condition of this mystical figure housed in the Shanghai Museum is completely intact. The jade texture is crystal clear and the craftsmanship superb. It is the only extant piece found in the world so far. Wearing a flat-topped hat and two earrings, with hands crossed at the chest, this image is generally believed to be a wizard conducting a religious rite and communicating with spirits.

Zhi (a slotted jade fitting attached to a sword-scabbard) is the accessory of an ancient sword. This piece of work in grey jade texture is relatively thick and heavy. It is carved with the design of coiled interwoven dragon, phoenix, tiger and serpent images in low relief with artful technique. It is one of the most complicated and delicate jade pieces of its kind seen so far.

The jade ware of the minorities of the Jin period had distinctive grassland themes. With designs of ‘Spring Water’ and ‘Autumn Mountain’, these ornaments reflect the hunting scenarios of the two seasons of the northern nomads. ‘Spring water’ depicts the spring hunting scene when the emperor and his men go to the lakeside to round up swans by releasing the fierce gyrfalcon to snap and bite the head of swan. When the swan dropped to the ground, the men would stab and then share the swan meat together.
The spring water jade ornament adopts the approach of Qiao Se, meaning the smart arrangement of colour according to the texture and colour of the material. The scene of the black gyrfalcon preying on the white swan is carved and represented through the different colours of the jade, forming a sharp contrast, which creates an aesthetic appeal full of tragic feature.

The imitated antique jade wares of the Ming and Qing were the copies of the bronze sacrificial vessels of the Shang and Zhou dynasties, but with variations and contemporary features. They were regarded as the re-creation of art. The bronze Gu was formerly used as a drinking vessel. The jade Gu on the other hand was generally used for flower arrangements, known as a flower goblet. This piece of jade work was made from a high grade yellow jade produced in Hotan, Xinjiang, which was pure and immaculate. Many of the jade works in the Qing palace were made from yellow jade, as a symbol of the dignity of the royal families. This flower goblet is carved with three Chi-dragons in relief. The Chi-dragon is a legendary dragon, with the partial tone of xi (happiness), symbolizing good luck. It became one of the main decorative patterns of jade wares together with dragon design after the Han dynasty. The date mark on the base of the Gu is ‘Qian Long Nian Zhi’, meaning ‘made in the reign period of Qianlong’, indicating it was an object used by the Emperor Qianlong.

This piece of work is well-proportioned with fluent lines. It is made of Huanghuali wood, the color of which is neither too plain nor too gaudy, just at the right point at which the grain is visible and is full of dynamic changes. The crest rail of the chair is made up of five sections, connected with mortise-and-tenon joints, holding them together instead of falling to pieces. The backrest and armrest naturally flow down in a round and gentle way. The back splat is made from a frame and three carved panels, with the top carved in interlaced Chi-dragon design; the middle hollowed with a Kylin design, and the bottom is Kunmen Liangjiao meaning an opening that lightens the feet. Kunmen is the carving on a Sumeru pedestal and bed stand or the see-through device at the bottom of a chair back splat, or the foot of a folding screen. The joints are inlaid with cupronickel gadgets to strengthen and decorate. Folding chairs of this kind were regarded as a sign of identity and status and are usually placed in a prominent position in the hall, giving a dominating presence.

The six-post canopy bed named after its six pillars was first seen in the Southern and Northern Dynasties. This piece of work made in the late Ming dynasty comprised both canopy and bed. The front side of the overhanging board of the bed is mounted with three hollow carved slabs with the designs of two phoenixes facing the sun and two dragons playing with a pearl, while the front of the panel below is carved with a Kylin design, all of which are auspicious patterns. On the apron beneath the bed, there is a relief of twisted-grass and Chi-dragon pattern. Chi is a dragon without horns in ancient legends, said to be able to expel the demons and evil spirits. The overhanging board on both sides, the back of the bed and the open-carved railings are decorated with a cloud cluster motif, a mix of gathering and cluster. This furniture is elegant and beautiful, exquisitely carved and made of genuine Huanghuali wood. Canopy beds of the Ming dynasty are excellent in terms of both practicability and artistry and have been used and developed by people for hundreds of years.

The utilization of low tables can be traced back to ancient life style when people sat on the ground. In northern China it is very cold in winter. Most of the houses are built with a high platform of bricks hollow inside, known as a Kang. Fire can be made inside to keep warm. The low table placed on the Kang is called a Kang table (bed table).
This piece of furniture is girded with three curved legs suitable for carving elegant decoration, forming a sharp contrast with the straight-feet no-girding type bed table. This type of shape is relatively special and rare. The table is made of an aligned apron; namely the apron is not connected with the table legs at 45°, but in vertical flush joints, so the detailed carved double twisted grass and interlaced hydra design can be presented completely. The apron is the wood boards on the sides beneath the table top. There is the teaching in Records of Lu Ban (Lu Ban Jing) in the Ming dynasty: “The carving decoration of the four-tooth square table is often seen in the shoulder parts of the legs.” The animal patterns on the shoulder parts of the legs of this bed table have ‘flying hair, glaring eyes and as if breathing from its nose’. The apron is decorated with two dragons facing each other, relaxed but powerful and lifelike.

Antique shelves were very popular in the Qing dynasty, usually in paired combination. In the later period they appeared decorated with stained glass in Western style. This work is made of rosewood in classic Western styling. It has a capping on top and a base at the bottom. There are two kinds of doors on the cabinet, opening doors and sliding doors. All the glass is imported Western-style patterned glass and the door handles are carved out of ivory. The furniture carving patterns are basically in the Oriental style with the bamboo pattern on the main body frame. There are also the Eight Immortals in relief, flowers and plants, fish and bird designs, most of which are bird designs. In the middle of the top rack, there is a circular engraved phoenix, implying the meaning of all birds paying homage to the phoenix. The phoenix is holding a scroll in its beak and its head can turn around. With the corners of the components wrapped with gilt white copper ornaments, the shelve boasts sophisticated workmanship and elaborate carving.

This screen is a typical work of the mid-Qing period. It is extremely luxurious and sumptuous with decorations of various materials and in multiple techniques. The screen consists of five panels of rosewood. The front of the screen is engraved with dragons flying in clouds in high relief. The painted black ground is inlaid with birds, flowers and antique patterns made of white jade, sapphires, turquoise, lapis lazuli, rose quartz, coral, and agate, looking brilliant and shining. The back of the screen is decorated with the rolling clouds carving and gold-painted rocks, pines, bamboos and plums. The exquisite carving work, the genius design of multiple-jewel inlays and the elegant picture are presented in a careful, sophisticated and ordered way, showing high levels of craftsmanship. It is a typical work of the heyday of the Qing dynasty, praised as a national treasure.

Robes embroidered with python design derived from the early male clothes style of the Manchu, retaining the original features while making a few changes. The Manchu lived on horseback. The horse hoof shaped cuff, also known as arrow cuff, can protect the hand when shooting arrows. Later formal dress adopted this feature and therefore a special action of sleeve flicking was involved when Manchu people gave a salute. The reformed Manchu embroidered robe was once the official uniform of the Qing dynasty.

Mongolian costume mainly consists of jewelry, robes, belts and boots, all with bright and rich colors. The costumes vary with different regions and tribal clans and with women’s headgear boasting greatest differences. Mongolian women's headgear is very particular. A set of headgear was often worth many horses or hundreds of camels according to records.
This set of head ornaments inlaid with silver and coral is the best of all the clans. It belongs to the Ordos type, featuring large size, heavy weight, sophisticated decoration and exquisite workmanship. Made from silver inlaid coral and turquoise and other precious materials, this work looks colorful and eye-catching. Ordos head-ornaments are the most complicated and expensive ones among Mongolian tribes and are the symbol of wealth and social status.

The chief of the Atayal of Gaoshan people in Taiwan used to wear the shell-bead vest as a symbol of wealth. It is threaded with nearly 100,000 carefully polished tiny shell-beads. Thread the irregular beads first and then polish them on the sand paper till they become regular, and then sew them on linen to make the vest. As the shell bead vest is very time consuming and features unique craft, simple as it is, it is a symbol of status and wealth.

Horsetail embroidery is the traditional craft of the Shui people of the Sandu area of Guizhou province. First entwine the white silk thread around the horse tail hair to form spring-typed thread and then use it to outline the corresponding ground pattern, and embroider the blank part of the pattern with colored silk velvet threads. Horsetail embroidery, with butterfly or phoenix as the main motif patterns, features bright colors and striking patterns.
This piece of work adopts the structure of ‘pattern inside pattern’, where designs like butterflies, flowers and fruits and longevity character patterns are embroidered outside the butterfly pattern, with silver dots (standing for stars) decorated and yellow tape edged, highlighting the pattern.

The hand washing kettle is the common bathing and cleaning utensil for Muslim people, known as ‘Holy Water Kettle’. This copper kettle has a quaint and refined shape. Engraved and hollow carved with flowers, plants and Uygur text patterns all over the body, the kettle is not only an article of utility but a perfect work of art.

This is a Tibetan sorcerer's mask used in religious rites. It is closer to the masks hung in the temples but quite different from the Tibetan opera masks. The body is coated with paint on the outside, the mask is light and handy, even newer with time and easy to preserve. Bull head Vajrahasa is a Dharma Protector, from the Esoteric Sect of Dge-lugspa of Tibetan Buddhism, also known as ‘Yamantaka Vajrahasa’, whose image is a solemn god wearing a skull on the head. His three-eye shape is influenced by Siva of Hinduism. There are two bull horns, decorated with golden cloud design with two small bells on the ears which can make pleasant sounds during the dancing performances.

These are the deities enshrined and worshipped before the altar in Nuo opera. Both are the head sculpture of circular engraving. They are respectfully addressed as East Mountain God and South Mountain Goddess. There are many legends about them and one of which believed they were the incarnation of Fu Xi and Nu Wa after the times of great antiquity that recreated the world.

Tiance Fubao was a coin minted by Ma Yin of the State of Chu during Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms in the first year of Qianhua (AD 911). Ma Yin was appointed as the Tian Ce Fu General and built the Tiance Mansion. This coin was minted in memory of this event. Tiance Fubao was made in two types, copper and iron coins. Among them, the gilded copper is the most precious and is counted by pieces.

Paper currency, as a kind of credit currency, began to appear and to be widely used in the Northern Song and Southern Song, Liao, Western Xia and Jin dynasties. The printing plate Zhenyou Baoquan Wuguan was used to print paper money when Zhenyou Baoquan paper currency was put in practice in the 7th month of the 3rd year of the Zhenyou Period (1215) by the Emperor Zhangzong of Jin. The plate is made of bronze with the characters written reversed. Outside the flower frame on the top of the plate, it is horizontally written with two characters Wu Guan indicating the denomination of the paper money. On the right of the plate, there are two contract seals obliquely placed meaning the printed note can be cashed in the Prefecture of Jingzhao and Prefecture of Pingliang. Wu Guan Ba Shi Mo in the middle of the flower frame means Wu Guan can only exchange for 4,000 (20% off) Wen in accordance with the Sheng Mo (a monetary system in the Song dynasty, according to which, 77 coins were used as 100 coins) system. At the bottom, it is cast with the inscriptions indicating the sphere of circulation, places for exchange of the paper currency, as well as punishment of forgery and the title of the official position in charge of printing and minting. It is an important material data for the research of the development of Chinese ancient paper money and for the study of ancient Chinese movable type printing as well.

Yongle Tongbao coins began to be minted in the 6th year of the Yongle reign period of Ming dynasty (AD 1408). But only the Xiaoping coin (1 Wen / cash) was found in circulation. This Yongle Tongbao coin housed in Shanghai Museum is 3 Wen / cash (Zhe San). It is cast with two words, San Qian, indicating that it is a coin recording the weight. It reflects that the state intended to cast the coin recording the weight in five currency values according to the Hongwu Tongbao monetary system. But surprisingly this kind of money was not implemented. So it was actually a sample coin. It is an important material object for the study of coinage system development in the early Ming dynasty.

Stack casting was a main method to mint coins from the Qin and Han dynasties to the Northern and Southern Dynasties. With the stacked pottery fan (mold for casting copper coins), over a hundred of coins could be minted at a time. The production efficiency was higher than vertical casting with sectional molds. This is a mold case for Wuzhu coins minting in the 17th year of the Jianwu period (AD 41). It can be used repeatedly to cast the pottery mold cases. There is the date and other inscriptions on the back of the mold. Wuzhu coins began to be minted in the 16th year of the Jianwu period of Eastern Han (AD 40). This case, dated the 17th year of the Jianwu period, is very valuable for the study of coin minting in the Eastern Han dynasty.

Silver was generally cast into the silver ingot in the Qing dynasty and put in circulation in the tael system, in two different forms: real and virtual silver. It was extremely inconvenient in practice due to the fact that different forms and criteria of arbitrage transaction rates were applied in different regions and conversion was needed frequently in the process. During the Daoguang reign period, silver coins forged by imitating foreign machine made coins appeared in today’s Fujian and Taiwan areas. In the 10th year of the Guangxu period, Jilin province initiated the production of machine made coins. In the 16th year of the Guangxu period (AD 1890), Guangdong began to cast a new silver coin—Guangxu Yuanbao. Since then, all the provinces began to cast it one after another and put it in circulation together with the silver tael.
This coin got its name for the character ‘Shou (longevity)’ inscribed in official script on the back. The denomination is Kuping One-teal (the benchmark for taxes and levies of the Qing government). It has two major versions classified by the positive and negative lines of wings of the bat carved on the front side. It was said that this kind of coin was cast in Guangdong in the 31st year of Guangxu period (AD 1905) for the celebration of Empress Dowager Cixi's 70th birthday, therefore only few were handed down.

The Qing government successively issued various kinds of paper currency, such as Shunzhi Banknote, Great Qing Banknote, official banknote of Ministry of Revenue, and Bank Exchange Certificate of the Great Qing (Ministry of Revenue) and so on. Various kinds of paper currency were also issued from the official finance departments, various banks and private financial institutions. After 1840, foreign financial forces began pouring into China by setting up banks and issuing paper money in the country.
The International Banking Corporation was the former name of Citibank of the United States. Citibank was founded in 1812 and the then English name was International Banking Corporation. In January 1927, it changed its name to The National City Bank of New York after merging with National Bank of New York. China began issuing paper currency in 1907 in dollar and tael banknotes. This one dollar note issued in1909 was first issued in Guangzhou.