A groundbreaking exhibition showcasing Chinese gold artifacts, some of which are over 1,500 years old, has opened in New York. Titled Gold from Dragon City: Masterpieces of Three Yan from Liaoning, 337–436, the exhibition is now on display at the China Institute Gallery and will run through January 5, 2025. This marks the first time many of these treasures are being shown in the United States.
The collection features a variety of objects, including sculptures, bronze mirrors, inkstones, imperial seals, equestrian gear, ceramic vessels, jewelry, and other ornaments—many made of gold—all originating from Dragon City, present-day Chaoyang in Liaoning Province. According to the museum, the exhibition “illustrates the remarkable history of ethnic integration and cultural exchange along the Silk Road that transformed northern China more than 1,600 years ago.”
The artifacts on display shed light on the cultural evolution of the Three Yan civilization, established by the Murong Xianbei people. The civilization transitioned from a nomadic to an agricultural society, gaining literacy and developing advanced craftsmanship along the way. Influenced by Eastern Jin dynasty literature, the Murong Xianbei people’s work in gold craftsmanship and cavalry innovations left a lasting impact on later Chinese culture.
One of the exhibition’s standout pieces is the earliest known pair of stirrups, dating back over 1,600 years. Made of mulberry wood and gilt-bronze, these stirrups revolutionized cavalry and warfare. The museum notes that the invention of stirrups in China was a pivotal moment in military history, enabling riders to maintain balance and stability, thus paving the way for the knights of medieval Europe. Historian Robert Temple, in his book The Genius of China: 3,000 Years of Science, Discovery, and Invention, writes that the Chinese invention of stirrups was crucial to the development of Western chivalry.
Another highlight of the exhibition is a series of intricate headdress ornaments, featuring shimmering gold leaves that sway with the movement of the wearer. Known as buyao, meaning “step and sway,” these ornaments were worn by the Murong Xianbei and were influenced by designs from Western Asia, which were introduced to northern China via the Silk Road.
The exhibition also includes a bronze vessel shaped like a tiger, excavated from the tomb of Feng Sufu, an imperial minister of Northern Yan. The vessel, which may have functioned as a drinking container, is adorned with detailed cast patterns representing the tiger’s fur, with the animal’s head and tail raised in a dynamic pose.
Additionally, the display includes an imperial gold seal featuring a tortoise-shaped knob, with interconnected circles on its shell symbolizing the constellations of the Southern and Northern Dipper. Visitors will also find the earliest and largest collection of glassware ever unearthed in China. These glass vessels, created through free-form blowing, are believed to have been imported from the Roman Empire along the Silk Road.
Willow Weilan Hai, Senior Vice President of China Institute and Director and Chief Curator of its Gallery, commented, “This extraordinary exhibition illustrates the remarkable achievements of the Three Yan civilization, a culture that is no longer lost to history. We have gained a deeper understanding of how ethnic integration and cultural exchange, both East and West, shaped the cultures along the Silk Road. As in today’s world, cultural exchange remains an essential bridge for promoting mutual understanding and progress.”
The exhibition provides a rare opportunity to explore the rich history of a civilization that played a crucial role in the cultural exchanges that shaped the development of China and the broader Silk Road region.
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