The people, the land, the economy / Emma C. Bunker -- Early trade and contact : second millennium B.C. / Jenny F. So -- Expanded cultural exchange : ca. 1000-500 B.C. / Jenny F. So -- Luxury exports from China to the north : sixth-first century B.C. / Emma C. Bunker -- Chinese luxury goods enhanced : fifth century B.C.-first century A.D. / Emma C. Bunker -- Belt ornaments and fasteners / Jenny F. So.

The pastoral tribes on China's northern borders played a major role in the cultural development of China during antiquity. By the first millenium B.C., the region's inhabitants were trading in horses, wool, carpets and fur--items in demand by their urban Chinese neighbors. The artistic creations of the two groups reflect centuries of their complex interrelationships. The pastoral tribes favored belt buckles, chariot and harness fittings, weapons and tools in cast gold, silver and embellished bronze. The urban dwellers preferred wine and food vessels and bronze bells to use in rituals. This book emphasizes the character of consumerism in these ancient neighboring societies and the effects of commerce and migration on the appearance and production of everyday and luxury goods.--Dust jacket.