and other wearable goods, jewelers also created ornate items such as cups, bowls, trays, and tweezers for use within the Ming Court. In order to procure the raw materials to create these highly sought after products, jewelers had to turn to the court eunuchs who oversaw the mines, imports from surrounding regions, as well as tributes from neighboring states. As evidenced by the abundance of gold and silver products found in Ming tombs, many of these items were so valued that they were chosen or commissioned to go into the afterlife. It is from some of these pieces, preserved in the tombs, that one can see some of the best work of jewelers during the Ming Dynasty. These techniques, practices, and usage of precious metals and gemstones did not originate under the Ming Dynasty; rather, it is thought that the particular styles were inherited from the previous Yuan Dynasty, the Mongols. Under the Ming Dynasty jewelers further refined and explored these techniques to create pieces distinctive of the Ming period. References Ming dynasty art Jewellery