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66-520: In 2007, the Jinsha Museum was constructed to display the artefacts and features found. This includes the gold sunbird, smiling gold mask and the kneeling stone figures. The gold sunbird artefact is a national symbol of China according to the State Administration of Cultural Heritage . Jinsha is organised into different archaeological localities such as Mei Yuan, Lan Yuan and Tiyu Gongyuan. After

132-528: A "raw" state, without a gilding process. In cultures including the European Bronze Age it was used to wrap objects such as bullae simply by folding it tightly over, and the Classical group of gold lunulae are so thin, especially in the centre, that they might be classed as gold leaf. It has been used in jewellery in various periods, often as small pieces hanging freely. The gold-ground style, where

198-649: A Chinese American archaeologist, hosted the episode. The episode is part of the documentary series called 'Mysteries of China'. The site was accidentally discovered on 8 February 2001. When the China Real Estate Development Group was constructing the Shufeng Huayuancheng ( 蜀風花園城 ) 5 kilometers from the centre of Chengdu, a drain was discovered. The drain contained artefacts made of bronze, jade, stone and ivory. The Chengdu Municipal Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology immediately dispatched

264-419: A circle about six inches (15 cm) in diameter. The finished leaf forms an unbroken sheet of gold with a thickness of approximately 100 nanometres ( 1 ⁄ 250000  in). After the leaves are taken out of the mold, they are conventionally cut into a three-and-three-eighths-inch (8.6 cm) square and packaged in tissue-paper books containing twenty-five leaves. Gold leaf is sometimes used in art in

330-445: A considerably lower price, but traditionally some form of gold or metal leaf was preferred when possible and gold leafed (or silver leafed) moulding is still commonly available from many of the companies that produce commercially available moulding for use as picture frames. Gold leaf has long been an integral component of architecture to designate important structures, both for aesthetics and because gold's non-reactive nature provides

396-521: A dozen processes such as gold bar, leaf beat, twisting, opening, assembly, issuing, and foil cutting. It is also called "playing gold leaf". According to the needs of different products, a proportion of silver and copper is added; the metal is then melted into liquid form, poured into an iron tank, cooled to form gold bars, hammered into thin slices, cut into small gold pieces, and then covered with gold foil and hammered into gold foil repeatedly at high temperature. The process of hammering gold into leaf

462-584: A dragon) sold for £478,000 at another auction in Dorchester. In April 2018, the Tiger Ying (a bronze water vessel) sold at an auction in the United Kingdom. The National Cultural Heritage Administration condemned the auction arguing it was illegally looted from China and demanded its return. The auctioneers did not comment on Chinese requests and the auction went ahead. However, after some private negotiations,

528-509: A glue to the page, then rubbing gold leaf onto the glue. Gold ink is rare. Gold leaf is the basis of the gold ink used in Islamic calligraphy and Islamic manuscript illumination . The leaves are crushed in honey or gum arabic , then suspended in gelatinous water. Because the gold is not pulverized as in industrially produced metal inks, the resulting surface looks very much like solid gold. "Gold" frames made without leafing are also available for

594-399: A minute . The packet is rotated and turned over to ensure that the gold inside expands evenly in all directions. The original small squares of gold are beaten until they have expanded to the outer edges of the four inch square cutch. The gold is taken out of the cutch and each piece is cut into four pieces with a knife. Using the pincers, these squares of gold are put into a second packet called

660-438: A packet called a mold for the final beating. The wagon has sharp cutting blades, traditionally made from malacca cane ( rattan ). The mold contains 1,500 pieces of gold. Before the mold is filled with gold, the skins are coated with a gypsum powder. This process prevents the delicate gold leaf from sticking to the skins. The mold is beaten with an 8-pound (3.6 kg) hammer for three to four hours until it has been beaten into

726-494: A protective finish. Gold in architecture became an integral component of Byzantine and Roman churches and basilicas in 400 AD, most notably Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. The church was built by Pope Sixtus III and is one of the earliest examples of gold mosaics . The mosaics were made of stone, tile or glass backed on gold leaf walls, giving the church a beautifully intricate backdrop. The Athenian marble columns supporting

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792-546: A similar history. In 2001, the National Gallery of Canada returned an arhat sculpture that was dated about 1300 years ago. This was the first time a museum voluntarily returned an item to the state agency. A guardian statue that had been looted from a Chinese tomb in 1994 was seized by U.S. customs agents. The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York ( Mary Jo White ) filed a civil forfeiture suit under

858-455: A social hierarchy in the Jinsha civilisation. The even distribution indicates that the society was not organised in a top-down manner. The Jinsha Museum has played the central role in the site's conservation since its construction in 2007 as a shelter across 6 hectares. It aims to provide detailed information to tourists and conserve the site. Before its construction, no efforts were made to conserve

924-715: A team to investigate and secure the area. On 9 February, excavations around the initial drain began. The term ‘Jinsha site' was coined after the 2001 discovery. It refers to smaller investigation projects done since 1995 that occupied 3 square kilometres. Before 2001, the Chengdu Municipal Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology had conducted field surveys and excavations in Huangzhongcun ( 黃忠村 ). Specifically, this occurred in Locus Sanhe Huayuan ( 三合花園 ) and Locus Jindu Huayuan ( 金都花園 ) between 1995 and 2000. It

990-446: Is gold that has been hammered into thin sheets (usually around 0.1 μm thick ) by a process known as goldbeating , for use in gilding . Gold leaf is a type of metal leaf , but the term is rarely used when referring to gold leaf. The term metal leaf is normally used for thin sheets of metal of any color that do not contain any real gold. Gold leaf is available in a wide variety of karats and shades. The most commonly used gold

1056-414: Is 22-karat yellow gold. Pure gold is 24 karat. Real, yellow gold leaf is approximately 91.7% pure (i.e. 22-karat) gold. Traditional water gilding is the most difficult and highly regarded form of gold leafing. It has remained virtually unchanged for hundreds of years and is still done by hand. 5,000 years ago, Egyptian artisans recognized the extraordinary durability and malleability of gold and became

1122-512: Is 3.7 centimetres in height and 4.7 centimetres in width. This design has not been found anywhere else in China. Its thin mould was made by beating sheets of gold. The mask was used for religious worship and prayers when it was bonded onto figures. For the people at Jinsha, the mask was an avenue to connect with deities. The discovered features found at Jinsha include residential buildings, burials, pits and pottery kilns. Based on this combination, Jinsha

1188-421: Is an attempt to prevent vandalism and destruction by the public. The Chengdu Museum communicates scientific advancements on conservation that could be beneficial for the site. A combined team from Jinsha Museum and Chengdu Museum implemented conservation strategies that targeted the moss and cracks forming on the site in 2007. After an analysis on the most effective biocide , the team distributed germall across

1254-558: Is capped by a caryatid , and between which are clerestory windows. Below the windows is a continuous architrave, broken only by baldachins at the base of each of the above pilasters. In London , the Criterion Restaurant is an opulent building facing Piccadilly Circus in the heart of London. It was built by architect Thomas Verity in Neo-Byzantine style for the partnership Spiers and Pond who opened it in 1873. One of

1320-494: Is compared to Sanxingdui . Unlike Sanxingdui , Jinsha contained no city walls or moats. Jinsha is bounded by Shuhan ( 蜀漢 ), Qinyang ( 青羊 ), Sanhuan ( 三環 ) and Qinjiang Roads ( 青江 ). The Modi River divides the site into the north and south side. The site is mainly even with little fluctuations, ranging up to 5 metres. Pottery found in Huangzhongcun dates the Jinsha settlement to the late Shang and Western Zhou dynasties. Simple jars with small bases and pointed-bottom sauces were

1386-545: Is indicated through precise cutting, polishing, carving and hollowing. The figures most likely represent shamans, ritual performers, or human sacrifices to the higher beings, rather than slaves or prisoners of wars. Similar figures were found in Sanxingdui , where a short hairstyle mimics the identity of shamans and ritual specialists. Along with the human figures, ritual artefacts such as stone tigers, stone snakes, bronze and pottery were found. In ancient China, snakes were viewed as

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1452-449: Is known as goldbeating. The karat and color of gold leaf vary depending on the amount of silver or copper added to the gold. Most goldbeaters make 22 karat leaf. The gold and its alloy are put in a crucible and melted in a furnace. The liquid gold is poured into a mold to cast it into a bar. The bar of gold is put through a rolling mill repeatedly. Each time through the mill, the rollers are adjusted closer and closer to each other, to make

1518-427: Is next to Locus Lan Yuan and covers 9 hectares. Burial pits were the most densely populated here, with 15 burials found within 81 square metres. The locality was a residential area for the wealthier residents at Jinsha, before it became a place of burials. The golden sun bird, smiling golden mask and kneeling stone figures were found at the Jinsha site. With the artefacts being made of diverse materials, craft production

1584-425: Is pursuing the repatriation of these items via political, diplomatic, and international conventions. The Chinese government asserts that not only were these items taken immorally but illegally as well. A UNESCO document in 1995 states that cultural relics taken during wartime should be returned to their original countries. Egypt has supported China's efforts to repatriate its historical artifacts since they share

1650-554: Is recognised that these archaeological localities are remnants of a large-scale civilisation in the late Shang and early Western Zhou periods. Jinsha is located in the East region of the Chengdu Plains . During the Bronze Age , the fluctuating environment and demands for resources caused people to change settlements. Due to its proximity and similarities in features and artefacts, Jinsha

1716-490: Is responsible for over 500,000 registered sites of immovable cultural relics on mainland China. This includes 2,352 sites under national protection, 9,396 sites under the protection of provincial governments, and 58,300 sites under the protection of county or municipal authorities. In addition, 103 cities are designated as a "Historically and Culturally Famous City." There are approximately one million ancient Chinese relics on display in more than 200 overseas museums. The agency

1782-718: Is said to be gilded with gold that Christopher Columbus presented to Ferdinand and Isabella , before being passed on to the Spanish pope, Alexander VI . The apse mosaic, the Coronation of the Virgin , is from 1295, signed by the Franciscan friar, Jacopo Torriti . In Ottawa , Ontario , the Centre Block is the main building of the Canadian parliamentary complex on Parliament Hill , containing

1848-402: Is sometimes used to decorate food or drink, typically to promote a perception of luxury and high value; however, it is flavorless. It is occasionally found in desserts and confectionery , including chocolates, honey and mithai . In India it may be used effectively as a garnish, with thin sheets placed on a main dish, especially on festive occasions. When used as an additive to food, gold has

1914-745: The Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act , which led to the statue's seizure. It was returned in May 2001. In 2001, the Miho Museum in Kyoto, Japan, returned a rare Buddhist statue that was stolen from a public garden in the Shandong province. A rare bronze horse was purchased for 8.9 million US by Macau billionaire Stanley Ho who donated it to China. In 2009, an auction in France took place despite protests from

1980-525: The E-number E175. A centuries-old traditional artisan variety of green tea contains pieces of gold leaf; 99% of this kind of tea is produced in Kanazawa , Japan , a historic city for samurai craftsmanship. The city is also home to a gold leaf museum, Kanazawa Yasue Gold Leaf Museum . In Continental Europe liquors with tiny floating pieces of gold leaf are known of since the late 16th century; originally

2046-794: The House of Commons and Senate chambers, as well as the offices of a number of members of parliament, senators, and senior administration for both legislative houses. It is also the location of several ceremonial spaces, such as the Hall of Honour, the Memorial Chamber, and Confederation Hall. Capping the Senate chamber is a gilded ceiling with deep octagonal coffers , each filled with heraldic symbols, including maple leaves, fleur-de-lis, lions rampant , clàrsach , Welsh Dragons , and lions passant . This plane rests on six pairs and four single pilasters , each of which

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2112-617: The Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People's Republic of China . It is responsible for the development and management of museums as well as the protection of cultural relics of national importance. After the Chinese Civil War , the State Bureau of Cultural Relics was established to protect relics and archaeological sites as well as help develop museums (though the agency languished during

2178-584: The picture frames that are often used to hold or decorate paintings, mixed media , small objects (including jewellery) and paper art. Gold leaf is also used in Buddhist art and various other Asian traditions to decorate statues and symbols. Gold glass is gold leaf held between two pieces of glass, and was used to decorate Ancient Roman vessels, where some of the gold was scraped off to form an image, as well as tesserae gold mosaics. In Western illuminated manuscripts , gold areas are normally created by applying

2244-419: The shoder , which has approximately 1,500 skins. The shoder is beaten for about three hours until the gold has expanded to a five-inch square. The gold is taken out of the shoder and placed on a leather-covered surface. The gold is thin enough now that the cutter can simply blow on it to flatten it out. Using a wooden implement called a wagon , the gold is quickly cut into four pieces and immediately placed in

2310-636: The Chinese Government. Two bronze sculptures that were looted from the Old Summer Palace during the Second Opium War were being auctioned. The purchaser, François Pinault , bought them and donated them back to China in 2013. An imperial Chinese gilt metal box appeared at an auction in Salisbury in 2011. It was sold for £400,000. In that same year, another relic (a yellow jade pendant carved as

2376-426: The Jinsha settlement ended abruptly. While the reasons remain unclear, experts have proposed political revolution, catastrophic floods and earthquakes as possibilities. Of these, the political conflict hypothesis has been criticised due to its unrealistic ability to cause an entire settlement to disappear. Sediment and radiocarbon analyses show that the Chengdu Plains experienced a number of large earthquakes over

2442-690: The Tiger Ying was returned and became part of the National Museum of China's collection in November of that year. The FBI Art Crime Team returned 361 cultural artifacts to China on February 28, 2019. A court in Milan Italy ruled 796 artifacts to be returned to China. They arrived in Beijing on April 10, 2019. Some of these relics include porcelain items from the Song and Ming dynasties. Gold leaf Gold leaf

2508-587: The archaeological site. The site is listed on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Tentative List and Major Site Protected at the National Level. Conservation methods at the museum include temperature control, transparent curtain walls against ultra-violet rays and a controllable glass panel for air ventilation. The conservation department of the Jinsha Museum is responsible for security, surveillance and general maintenance – this

2574-420: The background of the figures was all in gold, was introduced in mosaics in later Early Christian art , and then used in icons and Western panel paintings until the late Middle Ages ; all techniques use gold leaf. Since the decline of gold ground painting, gold leaf has been most popular and most common in its use as gilding material for decoration of art (including statues and Eastern Christian icons ) or

2640-513: The decline of Sanxingdui , Jinsha emerged as the capital of the Shu state in the Shang or Western Zhou dynasty. It disappeared between 500 BCE and 200 BCE due to political revolution, earthquakes and/or flooding. In 2013, History Channel Asia produced a one-hour English language documentary called The Lost City at Jinsha . It was co-produced with China International Communication Centre (CICC). Dr Agnes Hsu,

2706-546: The first goldbeaters and gilders. They pounded gold using a round stone to create the thinnest leaf possible. Except for the introduction of a cast-iron hammer and a few other innovations, the tools and techniques have remained virtually unchanged for thousands of years. Gold-leaf forging is a traditional handicraft in Nanjing (China), produced as early as the Three Kingdoms (220–280 AD) and Two Jins (266–420) dynasties; it

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2772-443: The gold leaf is pure, uniform and soft. On May 20, 2006, it was included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage representative items. Modern gold-leaf artists combine ancient traditional crafts with modern technology to make traditional gold leaf. Forging skills are more sophisticated. Gold-foil production in Nanjing follows the ancient production process. The forging process has been tempered by more than

2838-405: The gold thinner and thinner. The bar is rolled to a thickness of 25 micrometres ( 1 ⁄ 1000  in). After rolling, the ribbon of gold is cut into one-inch squares. The first step in the beating process is called the cutch . The cutch is made up of approximately 150 skins. In the early days of the trade, ox intestine membrane ( Goldbeater's skin ) was used to interleave the gold as it

2904-400: The gold. The gold is beaten on a large, heavy block of marble or granite . These stone blocks were sometimes placed on top of a tree trunk set deep into the ground. This created greater resiliency for the hammer. Beating of the cutch by hand takes about one hour using a fifteen-pound hammer. The goldbeater follows a pattern and sets up a rhythm, striking the packet with up to seventy strokes

2970-636: The impost being encrusted with goldground mosaic Gold leaf adorns the wrought iron gates surrounding the Palace of Versailles in France, when refinishing the gates nearly 200 years after they were torn down during the French Revolution , it required hundreds of kilograms of gold leaf to complete the process. Gold leaf was used in the oil painting of the Bamiyan Buddha approximately 1,500 years ago. Gold leaf (as well as other metal leaf such as vark )

3036-547: The inside and supported by wood or bamboo on the outside. 200 pottery kilns have been discovered near burial pits in Lan Yuan, Sanhe Huayuan and Jindu Huayuan. People mainly used pottery for ordinary and religious activities. Each kiln had 4 components: a surface, fire chamber, kiln door and kiln chamber. It was oval with an area of 4 square metres. Pottery production was prominent at Jinsha as kilns were also discovered in buildings. The concentration of kilns in certain areas reflects

3102-483: The intermediate species between deity and humans, while tigers were feared by the people. Those who commanded snakes and tigers were held as superior and special in status for conducting religious activities. Therefore, these were used in Locus Mei Yuan for rituals, sacrifices, ceremonies and religious feasts. The gold mask has crescent-shaped eyes and a half-opened mouth. The design makes it appear to be 'smiling'. It

3168-495: The leaf, four birds flying towards the left have been carved out. In 2005, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage stated that the artefact symbolised Chinese history. It was believed to represent the legend in the Classic of Mountains and Seas . The legend explained that sunset occurred when four birds pulled it down from the sky. Due to its popularity, the artefact is the logo for the Jinsha Museum, which currently displays it on

3234-583: The main archaeological localities. Cultural artefacts made of gold, bronze, jade, stone, ivory and bone were discovered at Locus Mei Yuan. Situated on the southern banks of the Modi River, the locality covers 22 hectares. Pits that contained Asian elephant tusks, stone weapons and tusks from boars, antlers and deer were found. This locality was an area where cultural, religious and social events occurred. Buildings, tombs, graves, kilns, refuse pits and cellar pits were found at Locus Lan Yuan. Buildings were found in

3300-522: The most common pottery found. This undecorated and plain design is distinct to the Shi'erqiao culture in this period. Other pottery found includes the pointed-bottom cups and tall-beaked vessel lids. When considering the scale and complexity of the site, Jinsha emerged as the capital after the decline of Sanxingdui . The site is divided into different localities. These have been identified to possess unique community functions. Mei Yuan, Lan Yuan and Tiyu Gongyuan are

3366-449: The nave are even older, and either come from the first basilica, or from another antique Roman building; thirty-six are marble and four granite, pared down, or shortened to make them identical by Ferdinando Fuga, who provided them with identical gilt-bronze capitals. The 14th century campanile , or bell tower, is the highest in Rome, at 240 feet, (about 75 m.). The basilica's 16th-century coffered ceiling, designed by Giuliano da Sangallo ,

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3432-474: The north, while burials were found in the south and west of the locality. Excavation here by the institute occurred between July 2001 and January 2002. It is situated next to Locus Mei Yuan and covers 15 hectares. Before it became a burial site, it was a residential area for the people living in Jinsha. Larger palace-like residential buildings and burial pits were found at Locus Tiyu Gongyuan. Excavation efforts were focused here between October and November 2001. It

3498-472: The past 5,000 years, with one occurring roughly every 1,000 years. One such earthquake, given its estimated timing, may have caused the disappearance of the Jinsha civilisation. It may have been similar in nature to the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake , which also occurred in the same geographical region. Not only could an earthquake have destroyed buildings (including homes), it could have also led to secondary natural disasters (such as floods and landslides), or rendered

3564-619: The political turmoil of the Cultural Revolution ). Its cause was revitalized with the establishment of the State Cultural Relics Enterprises Management Bureau in 1973 to oversee the protection of cultural heritage and the State Bureau of Cultural Relics (SBCR) in 1988, under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Culture, as the encompassing agency for conservation of Chinese culture and heritage. The agency

3630-610: The proximity between crafters. This allowed uniformity in pottery production. At Locus Lan Yuan and Locus Tiyu Gongyuan, 300 burial pits were found. They mostly faced south-west, but some faced north-west. Skeletons were found to be lying upwards with their hands covering the chest. Contrary to the burials found in Sanxingdui , half only contained the body. The other half had burial goods but were limited to pottery. Only in five burials were jade and bronze artefacts also found. Burial chambers were found to include either single bodies or bodies of couples. The layout of burials did not indicate

3696-429: The region. Therefore, it is plausible that one particularly destructive flood could have caused the collapse and sudden disappearance of the Jinsha civilisation. The flood and earthquake hypotheses are not mutually exclusive, as earthquakes may induce floods. National Cultural Heritage Administration The National Cultural Heritage Administration ( NCHA ; 国家文物局 ) is an administrative agency affiliated with

3762-492: The restaurant's most famous features is the 'glistering' ceiling of gold mosaic, coved at the sides and patterned all over with lines and ornaments in blue and white tesserae . The wall decoration accords well with the real yellow gold leaf ceiling, incorporating semi-precious stones such as jade , mother of pearl , turquoise being lined with warm marble and formed into blind arcades with semi-elliptical arches resting on slender octagonal columns, their unmolded capitals and

3828-434: The second floor. Since people at Jinsha worshipped the sun, the gold sunbird is regarded to symbolise authority and power. 12 human figures made of stone were discovered. The figures are depicted kneeling, with their hands tied and their hair braided with a parting in the middle. The figure's faces are angular with high nose bridges, and their bodies are naked with no decoration or markings on them. Skilful stone craftsmanship

3894-430: The site in 2009. This removed mosses from the surface. Additionally, finely milled sand was used to fill in the cracks – this prevented them from enlarging. The difference in colour between the original surface and the sand was later evened for aesthetic purposes. The environment and temperature at Jinsha encourage the growth of bacteria, mosses and cracks. A high concentration of illite was found in its soil, which makes

3960-423: The site's features and objects prone to cracking. There are concerns that the excavation grids and unprotected artefacts are vulnerable to sunlight, birds and wet weather. Despite the temperature control system, it remains unstable. Poor stabilisation aids the development of pathologies. Ceasing daily water sprinkling around the site has been recommended to reduce the humidity and moisture. Around 500 BCE to 200 BCE,

4026-424: The surviving population more vulnerable to disease outbreaks. Such drastic environment and ecological changes could have necessitated a complete relocation. Field studies and sediment sampling show that sediment remains from ancient nearby rivers had been transported to the site. Within these sediment remains, there is a high concentration of relatively large grains, which is evidence for the occurrence of floods in

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4092-417: Was 150 centimeters long. These were evenly placed in 8 layers. Within this rounded pit, bronze and jade artefacts were found. All 50 buildings found faced north-west or south-west. For smaller buildings, the floors were filled with small post-holes only. For large buildings, large post-holes (spaced 1 meter apart) were added. The walls were made using the wattle and daub method. It was constructed with mud on

4158-452: Was a large urban centre. Ordinary life involved social, religious and cultural elements. At Locus Mei Yuan, Asian elephant tusks were found in the eastern corner. The pit was 160 centimetres in length and 60 centimetres in width. It was severely disturbed by construction equipment during excavations. There were two layers to the pit. The top layer was filled with dirt, while the bottom layer was sand filled with elephant tusks. The longest tusk

4224-410: Was advanced and resourceful. The pottery, stone and bone artefacts were used as household or daily objects. Artefacts made of bronze, gold, ivory, jade or other precious stones were generally used for religious or decorative purposes. The gold artefact is circular with a 12-point sun in the middle. With a concentration of 94.2% gold, the gold leaf was made with natural gold dust . On the perimeters of

4290-434: Was beaten. Today other materials, such as Mylar , are used. Using wooden pincers, the preparer picks up each square of gold and places it in the center of each skin. When the cutch is filled with the small gold squares, it is wrapped in several bands of parchment which serve to hold the packet together during the beating. Parchment is still the best material known to withstand the hours of repeated hammer blows needed to beat

4356-563: Was used in Buddha-statue manufacturing and construction. It was widely used in the gilding of Buddha statues and idols and in the construction industry during the Eastern Wu (222–280) and Eastern Jin (266–420) dynasties. During the Qing dynasty (1640–1912), the technology developed, and Nanjing gold leaf was sold overseas. It retains traditional smelting , hand-beating and other techniques, and

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