Flaming Pearls and Flying Phoenixes: Materiality, Research, and Stewardship of Liao Dynasty Metalwork

ABSTRACT

Metalwork from the Liao Dynasty (907-1125 CE) displays material and technical mastery that draws on the metalware and gilding traditions from the Tang and Song dynasties in China. When the nomadic Khitan people created the Liao polity, their military dominance, worldview, and cultural tastes culminated in a rich physical heritage. The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA) has three opulent Khitan funerary objects in its collection: a Mongolian-style gilded copper saddle, a pair of gilded silver boots, and a gilded silver crown. Transcendency of materials in the pursuit of form can embed meaning and cultural significance in ways not readily apparent. Increased awareness of the Liao Dynasty metalwork tradition and new archaeological finds are slowly changing the narrative of the Khitan people from “barbaric” nomadic outsiders to culturally-empowered elites. Current research and technical study strive to contextualize the Liao Dynasty metalware and offer a glimpse into the material mastery of the Khitan people and the world in which they lived.

RÉSUMÉ

Le travail du métal de la dynastie Liao (907-1125 CE) démontre une maîtrise technique et de la matière qui puise dans les traditions de travail du métal et de dorure des dynasties Tang et Song en Chine. Quand les nomades Khitan créèrent le régime politique Liao, leur domination militaire, vision du monde, et goûts culturels culminèrent dans un riche patrimoine matériel. Les collections du Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA) comptent trois opulents objets funéraires khitan: une selle en cuivre doré de style mongolien, une paire de bottes en argent doré, et une couronne en argent doré. La transcendance de la matière dans la poursuite de la forme peut renfermer un sens et une signification culturelle qui ne sont pas facilement perceptibles. La prise de conscience grandissante de la tradition métallurgique de la dynastie Liao et de nouvelles découvertes archéologiques font lentement évoluer la perception du peuple Khitan d'étrangers nomades « barbares » à celle d'élites culturellement autonomes. Recherches en cours et études techniques s'efforcent de contextualiser le travail du métal de la dynastie Liao et d'offrir un aperçu de la maîtrise de la matière du peuple Khitan et du monde dans lequel ils vécurent. Traduit par Stéphanie Auffret.

RESUMO

Trabalho em metal da dinastia Liao (907-1125 DC) mostra um domínio material e técnico que se baseia na tradição em objetos de metal e douração das dinastias Tang e Song, da China. Quando o povo nômade Khitan criou a política Liao, seu domínio militar, visão de mundo e gostos culturais culminaram em uma rica herança material. O Museu de Belas Artes de Boston (MFA) tem três grandes objetos funerários Khitan em sua coleção: uma sela de cobre folheada a ouro de estilo mongol, um par de botas de prata folheada a ouro, e uma coroa de prata folheada a ouro. A transcendência dos materiais na busca da forma pode incorporar significado e importância cultural de maneiras não prontamente aparentes. O aumento da conscientização sobre a tradição do trabajo em metal da dinastia Liao e novos achados arqueológicos estão mudando lentamente a narrativa do povo Khitan de estrangeiros nômades e “bárbaros” à elites culturalmente poderosas. A pesquisa atual e o estudo técnico esforçam-se para contextualizar os produtos metálicos da dinastia Liao e oferecer um vislumbre sobre o domínio material do povo Khitan e do mundo em que viviam. Traduzido por Beatriz Haspo.

RESUMEN

Los trabajos en metal de la Dinastía Liao (907-1125 CE) muestran el material y el dominio técnico basado en la metalurgia y las tradiciones de dorado de las dinastías Tang y Song en China. Cuando el pueblo nómada de Khitan creó el sistema de gobierno de Liao, su dominio militar, visión del mundo y gustos culturales culminaron en una rica herencia física. El Museo de Bellas Artes de Boston (MFA) tiene tres opulentos objetos funerarios Khitan en su colección: una silla de montar de cobre dorado de estilo mongol, un par de botas de plata dorada y una corona de plata dorada. La trascendencia de los materiales en la búsqueda de la forma puede incorporar el sentido y el significado cultural de maneras que no son evidentes. El aumento de los conocimientos sobre la tradición de la metalurgia de la Dinastía Liao y los nuevos hallazgos arqueológicos están cambiando lentamente la narrativa del pueblo Khitan de forasteros nómadas “bárbaros” a elites con poder cultural. La investigación actual y los estudios técnicos se esfuerzan por contextualizar los artículos de metal de la Dinastía Liao y ofrecer una ojeada al dominio material del pueblo Khitan y el mundo en el que vivían. Traducción: Amparo Rueda.

KEYWORDS:

• Technical research
• Liao Dynasty metalware
• gilded silver
• gilded copper
• funerary objects
• material transfers and translations
• history of conservation
• scientific analysis

Acknowledgements

This research would not have been possible without the generous support of the following individuals who shared their time, insights, language skills, and technical expertise: Richard Newman, Susanne Gänsicke, Michele Derrick, Shen Zhang, Abigail Hykin, Pamela Hatchfield, Nancy Berliner, Feier Ying, Soon Kai Poh, Lisa Bruno, Ersang Ma, Betty Hensellek, and Hsueh-man Shen. Thank you to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston for its institutional support of this research, The Brooklyn Museum for providing access to its collection, and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for fellowship support during this project. This paper was presented at the 2018 AIC Annual Meeting in Houston, TX, in a session entitled: “Material Transfers and Translations,” organized by Jessica Walthew.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

ORCID

Evelyn (Eve) Mayberger http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3893-2730

Notes

1 An index of all gold and silver objects unearthed in China since 1996 with an entire section dedicated to Liao Dynasty artifacts has proved to be an important reference (Liang-Lee and Louis 1996, 57–60).

2 The tomb of the Princess Chen and Xiao Shaoju was first highlighted in the United States in an exhibition put on by the Asia Society and Museum in New York City in 2006. The show entitled “Gilded Splendor: Treasures of China’s Liao Empire (907-1125).” An accompanying catalog and interactive online resource were also created. http://sites.asiasociety.org/arts/liao/.

3 The high profile of this tomb coupled with luxurious objects discovered makes it one of the few instances where metal composition analysis was performed and published on select objects. Different metal compositions on the metal burial suits was recorded: (1) Princess Chen – 91.77% silver with 2.48% copper and (2) Xiao Shaoju – 96.18% silver with 0.58% copper (Shen 2006, 71).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Evelyn Mayberger

Evelyn (Eve) Mayberger has MA and MS degrees in art history and conservation from the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University, where she specialized in objects conservation. She has worked in the conservation departments of the Olin Library at Wesleyan University, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Historic Odessa Foundation, Small Collections Library at the University of Virginia, National Museum of the American Indian, Worcester Art Museum, University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (fourth-year internship), and Museum of Fine Arts in Boston (Andrew W. Mellon Fellow). In addition to museum work, Eve has participated in excavations at Sardis (Turkey), Selinunte (Sicily), Abydos (Egypt), and el Kurru (Sudan). Currently, Eve is an Assistant Conservator at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and the Vice Chair for the Emerging Conservation Professional Network (ECPN). Address: Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Email: [email protected]