TANG DYNASTY 618 -906 A.D.

The short-lived Sui Dynasty has come to an abrupt end after the death of its founder and the succession of his son (Yang) who had made many enemies. Shortly after the collapse of Sui Dynasty the Tang Dynasty was born from a teenage boy who at the age of 18 Li Shin-min grasped the reins of power and took control of China.

 Li Shih-min placed his aged father as the first emperor of the new Tang Dynasty after having secured the throne from his many rivals. The young noble who now ruled China set out to consolidate his empire on a lasting basis by annihilating any rival who questioned the throne of Tang. In the course of destroying his enemies a civil war erupted, but within less than 10 years all rivals for the throne were crushed and Li Shin-min  succeeded his father to the Imperial Throne as T’ai-tsung (Emperor). His empire would become one of China’s greatest and glorious.

The Tang generals under Li Shin-min command vanquished the Tartars from the Northern provinces and subdued the Turkish tribes that occupied the steppes beyond the Great Wall. These important military and political maneuvers made it possible for the Tang to open up vast areas to trade and secure trade routes, increasing the number of caravans to bring the goods of China to the trading centers of the Near and Middle East.

The trade routes (Silk Road) were expanded and secured bringing to the Tang not only great riches but also great cultural exchange that infused China with a creative, vigorous and productive energy. Ch’ang-an, the Tang capital in the first half of the 8^th century was the world’s largest city and leading cosmopolitan center. From every part of the world merchants and envoys came to pay homage to the court of Tang China. The crowed and narrow streets of Ch’ang-an were filled with foreigners from around the ancient world who sought the wealth of China. The diversity of peoples constituted an open door policy of trade for Persian, Tartars, Japanese, Tibetans, Jews, Indians and many other types of people to sought their fortunes. The Emperor Li Shin-min encouraged religious tolerance so that people of all faiths could live and trade together in the Tang Capital. Many religions built temples and practiced their faith allowing Christianity, Muslim, Manichaeism and Jews to coexist with the dominant faith Buddhism.

 Another great personality of the Tang Dynasty was the emperor Hsuan-tsung whose love for the beautiful Yang Kuei-fei led to his absentee of rule.  This great Emperors passion for the arts and a woman of tremendous beauty (Yan Kuei-fei) allowed for his enemies to gather strength to conspire a revolt. A rebellion of the court of Tang forced Hsuan-tsung to flee Ch’ang-an and seek refuge in Szechuan. Yang Kuei-fei was murdered by the hands of her own royal guards for her betrayal of the throne and the Emperor Hsuan-tsung abdicated his throne. The Tang dynasty was still a great power but it never regained the greatness it had during the 7^th and 8^th centuries. At the end of the 9^th century the Tang rulers with their internal fighting brought about a series of rebellions that brought social discontent and unrest. The uprisings spread and in 879 the wholesale massacre of foreign merchants in southern China was one of the final blows to the collapse of the Tang Dynasty.

A great spiritual and religious movement that had swept across China during the Six Dynasties was Buddhism. This faith promised  individual enlightenment and the pursuit of fulfilling Karma. When the Toba Turks conquered the Wei and Northern China they embraced Buddhism and built shrines to worship the way of Buddha. By the arrival of the Tang Dynasty Buddhism had become the mainstream religion of China and often Chinese Buddhism is equated to a tree with one trunk and many branches to express the wide diversities of different types of Buddhist sects and beliefs. Many of the beautiful Jade treasures created during this time of Chinese history are icons of Buddha. Most interesting is the fact that some of the greatest Buddhist Shrines and Temples were created during this time of Chinese History.

In dating and ascertaining Tang Dynasty gemstone artifacts one has the impression of a step from the past and an embracing of a flowing unbound style that is influenced by an infusion of outside artistic expressions. Tang Dynasty jade gemstone artifacts are highly prized and are often only found in fine private collections and museums. Although these Tang masterpieces were not created for ritual ceremonial purposes they still retain a most wonderful sense of style and are refreshing to behold.

The Tang Dynasty was a true renaissance for the Chinese. During this period of Chinese history a new powerful and wealthy merchant class arose that fueled a cultural revolution for the elite and the masses alike.   The world of the Chinese was stable and affluent while the doors of the outside world were open to the trade and exchange of goods and ideals. Tang craftsmanship broke away from the past in a bold new movement forward with the experimentation of shape and form expressed in Calligraphy, Poetry, Bronze Works, Jade Works, Ceramics, Painting and thought.

My 30-year private collection of ancient jades   include many wonderful specimens of Tang one-of-a-kind Jade Treasures. Today, you can own a Tang Dynasty Jade Treasure and become a curator of an artifact that is fit for the finest museum. Tomorrow, you will discover that this great opportunity to own treasures from the ancient Chinese world of the Tang will be gone. -ian (Fung Gen Qua)