An expert from the laboratory archaeology cabin working on restoring a Tang Dynasty dragon head sculpture unearthed from Xiong’an, Hebei Province Photo: PROVIDED TO CSST

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On October 28, 2024, while the laboratory archaeology cabin at the University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences was in the midst of relocation and construction, two ceramic dragon heads were unearthed at the Guzhou City ruins in Xiong’an, Hebei Province. Less than a week later, on November 3, the artifacts were delivered to the cabin for scientific analysis and restoration.

From the Han through Sui periods, the Guzhou City ruins at present-day Xiong’an served as the county seat of Mao County. In 711 CE, the Tang court reorganized the area as Mao Prefecture, incorporating five counties—Mao, Renqiu, Wen’an, Qingyuan (formerly part of Ying Prefecture), and Guiyi (from You Prefecture). This elevation transformed Mao City into a regional administrative center and one of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun [historically known as 16 strategic administrative regions in northern China that were originally part of the Tang Dynasty’s territory]. The city remained active until its abandonment during the Five Dynasties to early Northern Song period.

Tang Dynasty ceramic dragon heads are exceedingly rare, and those unearthed in other regions such as Heilongjiang, Shandong, and Henan are mostly incomplete. The relatively intact condition of the Xiong’an finds makes them an extraordinary discovery.

The research team conducted a “comprehensive physical examination” of the dragon heads using advanced scientific methods. Testing indicated that they were fired at approximately 686°C. Using curved-surface micro X-ray fluorescence (XRF), the team analyzed the right eye of Dragon Head No. 10, identifying copper in the green eyeliner, lead in the white sclera, and manganese in the pupil. Further pigment analysis via Scanning Electron Microscopy–Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) revealed manganese in the dark purple-black pigment, cinnabar in the red areas, copper-based compounds in the green, and lead-based compounds in the white.

Microscopic observation of the clay body revealed a mix of high-silica clay with straw and pottery shards. Notably, a potter’s fingerprint was discovered on the tooth area of Dragon Head No. 10, offering a rare, humanizing glimpse into its creation. Computed tomography (CT) scans of Dragon Head No. 9 showed that the upper jaw and nose were sculpted first to serve as a support for the subsequent modeling of the eyes and forehead.

In summary, the manufacturing process of the dragon heads involved using relatively pure, high-silica clay mixed with straw and fragments of pottery. The upper jaw and nose were sculpted first, serving as the foundation for shaping the eyes and forehead. The head was then fired at around 686°C. The surface was painted extensively with lead-based white pigment; the pupils were painted with manganese-based purple-black pigment; the eyeliner with copper-based green mineral pigment; and the junction of the pupils and brows with cinnabar. These technical details underscore the Tang artisans’ sophistication in sculpting, ceramic production, and polychromatic decoration. But the dragon heads, fragmented into hundreds of pieces, presented a daunting restoration challenge.

To meet this challenge, the restoration team employed a suite of modern techniques: indoor cleaning, multi-angle 3D imaging, residue extraction, ultrasonic cleaning, curved-surface micro XRF analysis, 3D laser scanning, virtual reconstruction, physical reconstruction, patching, and bonding. These efforts ultimately succeeded in restoring the two dragon heads, recreating their original architectural function and design.

Dragon Head No. 10, shattered into more than a hundred pieces, took over six months of meticulous work to restore. The completed piece features upright ears and six tufts atop its head—a configuration not previously recorded in China’s material heritage.

The two dragon heads are believed to have served as ornamental ridge-end tiles in traditional xieshan (hip-and-gable) roofs. Xieshan architecture typically includes a main horizontal ridge (zheng ji), four descending ridges (chui ji), and four diagonal ridges (qiang ji). Chui ji ridges are often decorated with chui shou (mythical creatures or animal-shaped end tiles), while qiang ji ridges feature qiang shou. Dragon Head No. 9 is likely a chui shou, while No. 10 is believed to be a qiang shou. Measurements of the back of each head—45 cm for No. 9 and 30 cm for No. 10—suggest that the building’s descending ridges were 45 cm wide and the diagonal ridges 30 cm, indicating a structure that was magnificently grand and imposing.

Powerful, bold, and majestic, the dragon heads unearthed at Guzhou site add a distinctive new type to the visual lexicon of Chinese dragon imagery. Their restoration offers important material evidence for understanding Tang Dynasty architectural dragon elements and enriches the broader narrative of dragon iconography in Chinese culture.

Liu Yong is an assistant research fellow from the Key Laboratory of Archaeological Sciences and Cultural Heritage at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Edited by REN GUANHONG