The Changxin Palace Lamp

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Written By AQ

Speaker: Dr. Cortney Chaffin Kim

The Palace Maid Statue That Fought Pollution

Examine the Western Han Dynasty gilt bronze lamp (known as the Changxin Palace Lamp), an ancient artifact designed for both beauty and air purification. This video considers a remarkable second-century BCE Chinese bronze sculpture discovered in the tomb of Princess Dou Wan. We look at the craftsmanship of this functional object, which stands over 48 cm tall and currently resides at the Hebei Provincial Museum. You will learn how ancient artisans engineered this object to serve as a practical lamp while dealing with indoor air pollution during the Western Han Dynasty.

Changxin Lantern

Western Han dynasty, 2nd century BCE, gilt bronze, excavated from the tomb of Dou Wan (竇綰) in Mancheng county, Hebei province, 48 cm high (Hebei Provincial Museum, China)

Video chapters

0:00 A kneeling maid in bronze

0:27 Princess Dou Wan's tomb

1:30 Inscriptions

1:56 A functional lamp

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