贝壳与贝壳形盒

贝壳被当作货币、工具和装饰品使用的历史悠久,也被直接用做容器。秦汉以后贝壳器物很流行,隋唐时期更多,深受人们的喜爱,广泛出现在各地,还出现用白银为材料仿造的现象。贝壳盒在墓葬中的出土位置、共出遗物表明,它们在唐代似乎比较珍贵,主要是用于盛装化妆品,女性墓出土较多。无论是天然贝壳还是银质贝壳盒,除了使用价值,其流畅优美的造型也具有观赏、把玩的艺术功能。

Shell and Shell-shaped Boxes

Shells used as money,tools,decorations,and also containers experienced a long time.Shell articles were quite popular after the Qin and Han Dynasties.During the Sui and Tang Dynasties,such articles were greatly favored and rather popular all over the country,and even appeared imutated phenomena with Silver.The unearthed positions and concomitant articles of shell boxes indicate that they seemed to be rare and were mainly used to contain cosmetic.Shell boxes were primarily recovered from female tombs.Whether natural Shells or silver Shell boxes,except for usefu1ness,the fluent and graceful forms have artishc functions for view and play.