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Ten Disk-Shaped Ingots

Western Han dynasty (206 BCE–9 CE)
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
The use of gold as money in China can be traced back to the Warring States period (475–221 B.C.). Following the standardization of coinage after the Qin unification, round bronze coins entered regular circulation, and gold became an upscale currency. One of its major uses was as annual tribute from princes and marquises to the central government. These ten gold ingots were among 219 pieces discovered about 4 kilometers east of the site of the Han capital, Chang’an. Each weighs roughly 250 grams, equal to one jin in the Han system.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 西汉 金饼十件
  • Title: Ten Disk-Shaped Ingots
  • Period: Western Han dynasty (206 BCE–9 CE)
  • Culture: China
  • Medium: Gold
  • Dimensions: Diam. 2 1/4–2 5/8 in. (5.7–6.6 cm); Th. 5/16–5/8 in. (0.8–1.6 cm); Wt. 0.5–0.6 lbs. (.227.6–254.4 g)
  • Classification: Gold
  • Credit Line: Lent by Xi'an Museum
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art