CHINA ARQUEOLOGIA golden-age-chinese-archayeolog

behind the bird-over-dragon scheme on the Baoshan
coffin. The rising value of textiles, particularly
embroidery, during the Eastern Zhou period resulted
in the transfer of aspects of their design to
both bronze and lacquerware. In this case, it is even
possible that the design was intended to echo the
textiles that were originally draped over the coffin. 6
The coffin and other lacquers from Baoshan
Tomb 2 are remarkable for the brilliance of their
palette. In addition to the red, black, and yellow
that figure in the decoration of these objects, gilt
and silver pigments are used extensively to enliven
the scales of the dragon's body. Although this
palette can be traced to the tomb of Marquis Yi
(c. 433), it was apparently only during the fourth
century BCE that these pigments became common
in lacquer painting. 7 No scientific analysis of these
pigments has been published, but it seems probable
that they contain gold and silver filings suspended
in the lacquer. This palette was part of a
wider use of precious metals that encompassed
silver and gold inlays, appliques and gilding. 8 CM
68). The exchange of designs between different artistic
media was first explored by Rawson 1989, 84-89.
7 The excavation report on the tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng
mentions a gold-yellow as one of the colors used in the
lacquers. Gold-colored pigment reportedly decorates the
scales of a dragon on a lacquered dou (E 159, Hubei 1989,
i, 369), and appears on a small lacquered cup (Hubei 1989,
1:372). Yellow and silver gray are used on some of the
zithers (C 32, Hubei 1989,1:156). A golden yellow pigment
is used for details of birds and snakes on the lacquered
wood screen from Wangshan Tomb i (Hubei 1996, color pi.
2). Gilt and silvery gray pigment is used extensively on the
lacquered coffins from the late fourth-century BCE Chu
tombs at Xinyang Changtaiguan. See Henan 1986,18 and
82, and color pi. i.
8 Familiarity with gold and silver as lacquer pigments may
have inspired the use of gilding on metal. Although early
examples of gilding have been reported from the fifth
century BCE, it is only in the late fourth century that it
begins to appear regularly, coincident with the extensive
use of gold as a lacquer pigment. Two knives from Xinyang
Changtaiguan Tomb i, datable to the late fourth century
BCE, are described as gilded, as are the coffin handles
(Henan 1986, 65-66, fig. 45, pi. 73; and 93-94, fig. 66,
pi. 89:1).
1 Excavated in 1987; reported: Hubei 1991,1:61-68, figs. 43-
65, and 2: color pi. 4 and pis. 19, 20:3-4. The large outer
coffin was constructed of flat planks joined by mortises
and tenons; the middle coffin had rounded sides and a lid
conforming roughly to the contours of the log from which
each section was formed, and was coated in plain black
lacquer on both the inside and outside. The space between
the middle and the inner coffins was packed with
peppercorns (Hubei, 1991,1:469), probably in order to
repel insects.
2 For a discussion of the regulations regarding coffins, see
the report on Tianxingguan Tomb i at Jiangling (Hubei
1982, in). The Tianxingguan tomb also contained three
nested coffins and on this basis was designated the tomb
of a minister by the excavators. On the other hand, Marquis
Yi of Zeng, a satellite of Chu, was buried in only two
coffins.
3 See Hubei 1991, 2: pi. 20:3.
4 Hubei 1996, color pi. 2
5 A similar pairing of birds and dragons appears on a lacquered
double-cup from this tomb. (Hubei 1991,1:138-
139, fig. 853-b). The authors of the excavation report
identify the dragons and birds on the coffin with the feiyi
mentioned in the Shan hai jing (Classic of mountains and
seas) as taking both bird and serpent form (Hubei 1991,
i:493)-
6 The middle coffin was enveloped in nine layers of brocaded
and embroidered silk drapes (see Hubei 1991,1:67-
333 | TOMB 2 AT BAOSHAN, JINCMEN