We often say that there are three no products, generally refers to things that have no specific production date, no manufacturer, and no certificate of conformity. Most of these things are fake and shoddy products, it is best not to use them easily, and the people are particularly disgusted with the three products.
In fact, the cultural relics industry also has similar "three noes" products, such as the gold-plated agate cup that has been listed as a permanent exhibition of cultural relics, which is a typical example.
Experts have commented that although the gold-encrusted agate cup is very precious, it is actually a typical "three noes" product, what is going on?
The gold-encrusted agate cup first met the world in 1970 and was unearthed in Hejia Village, on the southern outskirts of Xi'an. The treasure was first discovered by some workers.
They came to the village for a project, and when they dug to a depth of about a meter, they found two large gray urns.
The workers thought this was strange, quickly stopped the construction, carefully opened it, and there were actually some golden shining things inside.
Although the workers do not have much cultural knowledge, they can see at a glance that these things are valuable treasures.
Soon, the news that the workers dug up a large number of treasures spread out, and after the experts heard the news, they quickly counted the cultural relics at the scene, and the experts were pleasantly surprised to find that there were more than 1,000 treasures contained in the large pottery urn.
Among these treasures, the one that most concerns experts is the 3 uniquely shaped agate vessels, one of which is the gold-encrusted agate cup we mentioned earlier.
From the appearance, the gold-encrusted beast agate cup gives people a very strange feeling, it is a curved shape of the cup, the front end is a strangely shaped animal head.
The reason why it is strange in shape is because of its unusual appearance. The beast has two sharp horns on either side of its head, its face looks like a cow, its eyes are round and radiant, and its mouth is like a dog.'
The main part of the cup is made of agate, the dog mouth part is made of gold, and the pores are clearly visible.
Experts speculate that when using the cup, it is necessary to hold the horn of the beast, inject the liquid from the top end, and then look up at the golden dog mouth of the cup and pour the liquid down to drink the contents.
This way of drinking is very strange, and there is a clear difference from our traditional impression. Therefore, some experts believe that this gold-encrusted agate cup should be something from abroad.
This view was quickly recognized by many people, although China is rich in land, but rarely produces red agate. Most of this stuff originated in Central and Western Asia.
According to the Old Book of Tang, dakangguo once paid tribute to China in the 16th year of the new century through the Silk Road.
This historical record can prove that in the history of our country, there are indeed some agate items from abroad, but it does not prove that the gold-encrusted agate cup was the one that Dakangguo originally paid tribute to.
Due to the lack of information about the age, experts have not been able to link the gold-encrusted agate cup with clear evidence with the one that paid tribute to the Great Kang Kingdom.
Some experts have speculated that the gold-encrusted agate cup may be an instrument made by Chinese craftsmen imitating foreign goods, but this statement has not been recognized.
From the perspective of craftsmanship, the craftsmen of ancient China really have the ability to make similar things. However, China has always had a saying that good things come into pairs, and when making utensils, it is generally necessary to make two pieces at the same time.
Since the excavations, the experts in charge of archaeological research have not found similar tools. That is to say, the gold-encrusted agate cup is likely to be an orphan. Because of this, the imitation of ancient craftsmen in China has been questioned by many people.
Tracing the origin of cultural relics is a very rigorous matter, and it is necessary to find certain evidence to give a clear judgment. We must not define a cultural relic without authorization based on our own subjective speculation.
Therefore, it is generally believed in academic circles that the gold-plated agate cup is something of an uncertain source.
In the course of the study, experts judged by the location of the excavations and other artifacts that the gold-encrusted agate cup should be something from the 7th to the 8th centuries AD. Who its original owner was, experts have some speculation.
Some people think that it is something that rents Liu Zhen, and some people think that it is something that li shouli, the king of Ying, is.
The reason why experts speculate about these two people in particular is mainly because the location of the gold-encrusted agate cup is relatively special. The Hejia Village where it is located, during the Tang Dynasty, was the famous "Xinghua Fang".
At that time, most of the people living in "Xinghuafang" were powerful people in the imperial court. Both Liu Zhen and Li Shouli, the King of Ping, had lived here and had the opportunity to own the Gold-encrusted Agate Cup.
However, there is not enough evidence to confirm who is the true owner of the gold-encrusted agate cup.
To this day, there are still many unsolved mysteries on the agate cup of the gold-encrusted beast, which need to be continuously studied to find out the truth behind it.
However, this does not affect the artistic value of the gold-encrusted agate cup, experts generally believe that it should be a rare treasure from the collision of Chinese and foreign cultures, is a witness to the Tang Dynasty, and has a very unique artistic value and research value.
More importantly, the gold-encrusted agate cup is likely to be a witness to the ancient Silk Road, which proves to the world that the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty was of great help to the inheritance of national culture.
As the saying goes, things are more expensive than rare, and this truth is also applicable in the field of cultural relics, and the gold-encrusted agate cup has gained greater value because of its scarcity.
When the state drew up the list of exhibitions prohibited from leaving the country, it specially added the name of the gold-encrusted agate cup. Only when you visit China can you see its true appearance.
In the 1980s, Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher took the opportunity of a visit to china. During this period, accompanied by Our staff, she came to the history museum in Shaanxi and saw the agate cup with gold inlaid with her own eyes.
When she first saw this thing, Margaret Thatcher was deeply attracted, and she stood in the exhibition area, staring carefully at the gold-encrusted agate cup for a long time, and she was reluctant to leave.
The more she looked at it, the more she liked it, and even couldn't help but tell the staff that if she could, she was willing to pay a lot of money to buy this cup.
Margaret Thatcher knew very well that this was a treasure that was forbidden to be exhibited abroad and could not be sold to the outside world, but she could not help but ask for it.
It is not difficult to see that the gold-encrusted agate cup is indeed a very pleasing treasure, and even the "Iron Lady" of Mrs. Thatcher is deeply impressed by it.
As a result, It is obvious that Thatcher's request for acquisition was rejected by our side, and the gold-plated agate cup is still in China.
It lies quietly in the museum, silently telling the world the story of the past.