Shaanxi Cultural Relics Information Network

1. Gilding

One of the traditional crafts of ancient metalworking. In modern times, it was called "gilding". Gold is melted in mercury to form gold mud, which is coated on the surface of copper or silver. When the mercury is heated to evaporate, the gold is attached to the surface of the vessel, which is called gilding. The technological process can be divided into five steps: 1) making "gold stick", flattening the front end of the copper rod and lifting it slightly. To polish and smooth, apply hot sour plum soup and then fill it with mercury and dry it in the air; ② Sha Jin, put the gold fragments into the mercury, heat and melt; then pour the gold into the cold water to form a thick mixture of gold and mercury -- gold mud; ③ to smear gold, dip the gold mud with "gold stick" and dip it with 70% concentrated nitric acid (instead of salt and alum in ancient times), and smear it on the bronze ware; and The fine lacquer brush is dipped in dilute nitric acid to brush the gold mud evenly; ④ to open gold, put the red smokeless charcoal in the flat wire cage, and bake it with a metal stick around the gold smearing place to let the mercury evaporate, so that the gold clings to the surface of the utensil; ⑤ calendering, using agate or jade of seven or eight degrees as the pressure, repeatedly grinding and pressing on the gold-plated surface to make the gold plating bright and durable. There are gold-plated traces on the back of the bronze knife unearthed in the third phase of Erlitou culture, which may be the earliest gilded object in China. In the Warring States period, the gilding process was relatively mature, and the bronze animals unearthed from the Warring States tomb in Guwei village, Huixian county were the representatives. Later, all dynasties used Gilding Technology to enhance the beauty of objects.

2. Inlay

One of the traditional crafts of ancient metalworking. In the process of casting bronze wares, shallow grooves are cast on the surface of the parts to be inlaid, and then the pieces of turquoise, red copper, or gold and silver wire are embedded into the groove, and then polished and smooth. The inlaying process began in the Erlitou culture period, and was popular in the spring and Autumn period. The round bronze wares inlaid with Turquoise from Erlitou site are the earliest inlaid objects.

3. Hammer

One of the traditional crafts of ancient metalworking. This method takes advantage of the malleability of gold and silver. The gold and silver pieces are hammered with a hammer to make them expand into flakes, and then various shapes and patterns are made according to the requirements. Generally speaking, all hidden objects and patterns are made by hammering. The gold arm and Earrings unearthed from the Shang Dynasty tomb of liujiahe in Pinggu County, Beijing were made by hammering. Hammering is one of the basic techniques of fine gold processing, which has been used up to now.

4. Gold and silver

One of the traditional crafts of ancient metalworking. Also known as gold and silver fault. First, a groove pattern is cast on the surface of the bronze ware, and then the gold and silver wires and pieces are embedded in the groove, and then the broken stone (i.e. the grinding stone) is staggered and polished. The pattern is shown by the different luster of the two metals, which is called gold and Silver inlaying. If pure copper is embedded in the surface of bronze, it can be called inlaid red copper. This kind of craft was produced in the spring and Autumn period. The gold inlaid inscriptions on Luan Shu fou and the gold belt hook in Luoyang Zhongzhou Road were the early objects of this craft. It was widely used in the Warring States period and declined gradually after the Eastern Han Dynasty.

5. Pinching silk

One of the traditional crafts of ancient metalworking. The gold and silver or other metal filaments are pinched into patterns according to the bending and turning of the ink pattern and glued to the utensils, which is called pinching. The dragon shaped gold ornaments unearthed from Guangling Tomb of the Eastern Han Dynasty in Zhanjiang, Jiangsu Province, are made of thread pinching techniques. This technology is not only used in gems, gold and silver ornaments, but also in enamel ware, such as silk cutting enamel ware.

6. Fried beads

One of the traditional crafts of ancient metalworking. Dropping gold solution into warm water will form gold beads of different sizes, which are called fried beads. Gold beads formed by frying beads are usually welded on gold and silver objects for decoration, such as joint bead pattern, roe pattern, etc.

7. Carve flowers

One of the traditional crafts of ancient metalworking. It uses chisels of various sizes and textures to knock the chisel with a small hammer to leave chisel marks on the metal surface and form various textures, so as to achieve the purpose of decorating utensils. This technology has a unique decorative effect, which makes the single metal surface produce multi-level and changeable three-dimensional effect, which is both beautiful and harmonious. It began in the late spring and Autumn period and prevailed in the Warring States period. Since then, it has been used in all dynasties.

8. Leisi

One of the traditional crafts of ancient metalworking. Gold is drawn into gold wire, and then braided into braided strands or various reticular structures, and then welded on the utensils, which is called accumulation silk. The exquisite gold chain produced by Hangjin Banner of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region is made up of many strands of gold wire as fine as hair. It not only represents the technological level of the Warring States period, but also is the masterpiece of the Xiongnu metal wire weaving technology.

Gold and silver are the most precious metals in ancient times. The utensils made with it are the crystallization of precious and gorgeous materials and refined and complicated craftsmanship. Chinese ancient gold and silver wares are basically a form of consumption by the nobility. Before the Tang Dynasty, the raw material production, manufacturing process, and consumption channels of gold and silverware were directly controlled by the government. It was one of the departments of the government's handicraft industry. Its products were occupied by the upper class of the ruling class and used for rewards, tributes, and temple views. In order to achieve perfect results, the production process often does not count the cost, so not only in craftsmanship, but also in art have reached high attainments. The gold and silverware manufacturing industry in the Tang Dynasty fully absorbed the advantages and strengths of gold and silverware production in Central Asia, West Asia, Europe and other regions, and created a variety of gold and silverware with novel shapes, magnificent patterns, exquisite designs and complex craftsmanship. Push the production of ancient Chinese gold and silverware to a new stage of development. In the Tang Dynasty, there were non-governmental "xing" related to gold and silver, and there were silver shops in the Song Dynasty, indicating that the folk gold and silver manufacturing industry gradually developed after the Tang and Song Dynasty. The ancient gold and silverware that have been discovered are mainly from cellars, tower bases, and tombs. The types of utensils seen include drinking vessels, food vessels, medical utensils, daily utensils, decorations, and Buddhist relic coffin supports and hat poles, towers, statues, etc.