A reconsideration of a Chinese inscription carved on lacquerware unearthed from Barrow No. 7 of the Tsaram Xiongnu cemetery (Buryatia, Russia): new reflections on the organization of the central workshops of the Han

Abstract

This paper reports one Chinese lacquerware unearthed from Barrow No. 7 of the Tsaram Xiongnu cemetery. The lacquerware was broken, but we composed photographs of fragments and reconstructed the design pattern. Through the reconstruction, we know that this ware decorated using the zhui hua technique, with similar designs seen on some vessels and boxes unearthed from Han tombs. The reading of the Chinese inscription was reported in 2007, but I correct some characters. The inscriptions were carved on objects for the control of product management. This inscription also shows that this ware was made in the Kao Gong factory, but the members of the inspectors are listed differently than other inscriptions. It is difficult to determine the reason of this difference, but it might reflect some reform of product organization. The inscription also lacks the year number, but by comparison to other inscriptions, we propose that this ware was produced in the later part of the Former Han and before 5 BCE.