Jinhua Museum put into storage 28 pieces of newly restored gold and silver wares recently.These items are delicate, carved with peonies, phoenixes, and other beautiful patterns. The themes of the artwork are everyday objects of ancient life, showing the features of the times when the wares were produced.

In 2012, China launched the first national survey of movable cultural relics, which took four years to complete. During that period, Jinhua Museum found a group of ancient treasures and unearthed gold and silver items from the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties. According to Yang Zhishui, researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and other experts, the items are of high value both historically and artistically.Because of their age, most of the gold and silver objects have oxidized. Some of them are very fragile, broken, or black in color due to the oxidation. If not properly preserved, they may be damaged.

Jinhua Museum commissioned the School of Archaeology and Museology of Peking University to restore the treasures, which took another four years. Not long ago, the items returned to Jinhua.Xu Wei, the curator of Jinhua Museum, says that this is the first time Jinhua has restored gold and silver wares on such a large scale, and it is also a rare event in Zhejiang Province.

Among the pieces, gold and silver jewelry used by ancient women takes up a large proportion. Such ornaments prevailed after the Tang Dynasty as a combination of wealth and art, showing fashion trends then.

We can learn much about a city’s social and economic development level in ancient times from gold and silver items unearthed there.According to Xu Wei’s analysis, most of the gold and silver items unearthed in Jinhua appeared after the Song Dynasty. Firstly, the use of these objects in the Song Dynasty was more common than any other dynasty in the past. Many ordinary people could afford gold and silver items. Second, Jinhua’s historical status improved significantly after the Southern Song Dynasty. More people moved to Jinhua, and the pearls of the Central Plains also flowed into Jinhua’s market.

Zhu Ying, director of the Preservation and Research Department of Jinhua Museum, says the restoration of the items not only provides material evidence for historical research, but also has a definite significance for the study of Jinhua’s ancient handicraft industry and the development of its politics, economy, and culture. “We will research the culture and history of the gold and silver wares. At present, there is not enough archaeological information, and many mysteries surround these items. We expect more information from people from all walks of life to help researchers solve the mysteries.”

Jinhua’s people and tourists may have to wait for some time to have a close look at the gold and silver items, says the official in charge of Jinhua Museum, because they do not yet have a sufficient number for the standard size of an exhibition. The museum hopes to hold a special exhibition at an appropriate time to display the restored gold and silver treasures. (By Xu Jiannan, translated by Jin Haiqiong, edited by Kendra Fiddler)