Precious Cultural Relics in Maoling Museum

This relic was unearthed in May 1981 by villagers while leveling the land in Douma Village, Xiwu Township, south of the Tomb of Princess Pingyang. Standing 62 cm tall and 76 cm long, the horse is entirely cast in bronze and covered with gold gilding. It stands upright on four legs with its head raised and tail tilted up, showing a robust and vigorous build. Its head is vividly sculpted, featuring a delicate nose, bright eyes and erect ears.

Recorded as a "golden horse" in historical documents, this exquisite artifact was modeled after the Ferghana horse from Dayuan during the Western Han Dynasty. As a national treasure, it is now preserved in Maoling Museum.

This national treasure was discovered together with the gilt bronze horse. It is 58 cm high in total, with a base diameter of 13.3 cm, a mouth diameter of 9 cm and a lid height of 6 cm.

A 35-character inscription is carved around the outer edge of the lid: "For the sleeping quarters of the Weiyang Palace. One gilded bamboo-joint incense burner, weighing ten jin and twelve liang. Crafted by the Inner Palace in the fourth year, delivered in the tenth month of the fifth year. Serial No. 3."

Another 33-character inscription runs along the outer side of the circular foot: "For the sleeping quarters of the Weiyang Palace. One gilded bamboo-joint incense burner, weighing eleven jin. Made by the Imperial Workshop in the fourth year, delivered in the tenth month of the fifth year. Serial No. 4."

Weighing 13.3 kg, this ritual vessel is 34.1 cm high, 58.1 cm long and 20.4 cm wide, representing a masterpiece of ancient craftsmanship. It was found in an earthen mound north of Douma Village, Xiwu Township, Xingping County in 1963 by a local villager named Zhao Zhenxiu. The relic is now housed in the National Museum of China.

Tiger paperweights unearthed from Han tombs are shaped like crouching tigers with heads raised. They were placed in tombs to ward off evil spirits. Such paperweights were made of bronze or stone. Bronze examples feature gilding or gold inlay, and they were always excavated in sets of four.

This artifact consists of two parts: a base and the cup itself. The base has a tray-shaped foot and a calyx-shaped support holding the cup. The oval cup has a round bottom and two handles on either side. It is adorned with gorgeous patterns, with sophisticated lacquerwork and gilding techniques. It serves as valuable physical evidence for the study of arts and crafts of the Western Han Dynasty.

Measuring 34.2 cm in length, 35.6 cm in width, 14.7 cm in thickness and weighing 10.6 kg, this door knocker is a beast-head base for holding door rings in ancient China. Exquisitely carved from lustrous Lantian jade, it is a relic from the Maoling Mausoleum complex. The ring hole is designed in the shape of a curled nose. Patterns of the Four Divine Beasts — the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird and Black Tortoise — are elaborately arranged on both sides of the taotie mask.

This cylindrical bronze timekeeper is 32.8 cm high and 10.6 cm in diameter. A bracket for the time scale and a slit for a float are fitted on the lid. A small spout at the bottom allows water to drip out gradually. As the water level drops steadily, the float descends evenly to indicate the time. It is an important artifact for researching timekeeping technology in the Western Han Dynasty.