This website is dedicated to the ornamentation of dated metalwork from the Tang Dynasty of China (618-907). A primary goal of this website is to provide a visual database for the comparison of decorative schemes on metal work across the Tang period, with a specific focus on objects from the High and Middle Tang periods. This is done in two main ways: periodization (see the "Time" option in the menu above); and motif.

For ease of use, the Tang Dynasty of China (618-907) is divided into four time periods:

• Early Tang (618-705)
• High Tang (705-781)
• Middle Tang (781-848)
• Late Tang (848-907)

Motifs are more fluid than time, and often a single object will feature multiple motifs in the same tiny area. Therefore, I have chosen just a few of these recurring motifs to look more closely side-by-side, including the frequency of birds, flowers, and the use of the clam shell shape for small hinged containers.

Some of the works on this sight have dates inscribed upon the object themselves. However, a majority of the objects on this site were found in tombs, and the date which has been ascribed to the object is the same as the date of the tomb. In these cases, the object description will note that the object is tomb dated.

Site by Madison Jane Williams (BGC 2021)